CH77

Meanwhile, 

Dazai was sitting on a floor chair. 

Though he was well past eighty, his back was still straight. 

He was reflecting on the earlier encounter, staring straight ahead. 

Wasn't the boy's name Park Ji-hoon? 

The sight of a mere fourteen-year-old looking at him so squarely. 

It was truly an unfamiliar scene. 

The kid's sharp eyes were filled with questions. 

If one were to summarize all of them into a single line: 

"Even after achieving everything, what more are you trying to gain by investing?" 

The answer is simple. 

"It's not about gaining more." 

The profit from investments? It would merely change a few digits in the bank account. 

What meaning is there in making money you can't even spend before you die? 

And yet, why does he continue investing? 

"For the thrill." 

Pure enjoyment. 

That's all Dazai desires. 

The intense pleasure success brings… only then does the brain explode with dopamine. 

Alcohol, gambling, drugs. 

Could those petty things ever replace the overwhelming thrill of accomplishment? 

"Not a chance." 

The other tycoons must feel similarly. 

They aren't obsessed with money. 

Once you surpass a certain level, money becomes a secondary factor. 

They are all, without exception, addicted to success. 

Maybe that's why. 

"If you just receive gifts and retire, wouldn't you feel regretful?" 

Dazai found Park Ji-hoon's question somewhat distant. 

"You, who asked the question, will eventually walk the same path." 

As with countless magnates, captivated by the sweetness of success, they could never leave this industry. 

What can you do? 

Humans are simply born that way. 

With a bitter smile, Dazai quietly lifted his teacup. 

*** 

The second day of his trip to Japan. 

Even after spending 8 billion won yesterday, I felt empty. 

'Of course.' 

No matter how many luxury cars you buy, without a license, there's no way to drive them! 

That wasn't all. 

Since the vehicles were immediately shipped… it only felt like I had spent money vaguely, without any real sense of it. 

So what now? 

'Let's spend more.'

A meal costing hundreds of thousands of won. 

Luxury goods worth millions. 

Watches priced over ten million won, and so on. 

But strangely enough, none of it gave me the same thrill as facing the Bugatti. 

'What's going on?' 

Wasn't I the type of person who found joy just reading books at home? 

Yet now, no matter what I buy, I just feel indifferent. 

'I used to wonder why rich people liked dust-covered antiques.'

The wealthier you are, the less stimulation you get from ordinary spending. 

Just as Chairman Dazai said. 

'Because you can't buy time with money..'

The years those antiques had endured seemed especially sweet. 

If that really was the case. 

'I do have something in mind, though.' 

I soon looked over at Jo Soo-deok and said, 

"Turn the car around." 

"Where would you like to go, Boss?" 

"To Meiyo." 

"…?" 

"It's a game company." 

*** 

"Y-you're asking me to sell the company?" 

Yoshiki, the CEO of Meiyo, Japan's leading strategy simulation game company, looked quite surprised. 

It wasn't surprising, considering someone had barged in and offered to buy more than half of the shares. 

But he soon fell into serious contemplation. 

He had inherited his father's paint company, but after struggling with management issues, he escaped reality by immersing himself in games. Eventually, he taught himself programming and founded a game company, becoming a self-made success. 

"Of course, that happened after 'PC Strategy Three Kingdoms' became a hit." 

Now, the company was just starting to get out of the red. 

So the acquisition offer must have sounded tempting. 

Especially considering my reputation for the success of 'Dream Quest.' 

It seemed my standing in the gaming world was quite good. 

"It's an opportunity I don't want to miss, but…" 

"And?" 

"If I hand over more than half of the shares, how should I manage the company…?" 

Yoshiki, now in his 70s, was still an active developer. 

A man who had lived his whole life obsessed with games. 

The one thing he must fear was simple. 

"I don't have the ability to make games unless I'm passionate about them. I've learned everything on my own, you see…" 

"I won't interfere with management at all." 

"Oh!" 

"But there is one thing I'd like to ask." 

He gave a look as if to say, "I knew it." 

As if he thought, "There's no way someone would buy over half of the shares and leave the company alone, right?" 

"From now on, I want you to make only historical games." 

"As long as they're history-based… that's okay?" 

"Yes. And if they're related to the Three Kingdoms, even better." 

For Yoshiki, a history enthusiast, this was a condition he could gladly accept! 

Maybe that's why. 

Yoshiki's face lit up. 

"You've come to the right person. If it's the Three Kingdoms, I'm absolutely confident…" 

"While you're at it, could you also release an SRPG version of Three Kingdoms?" 

"I… I've actually been planning it. I have three projects in the works…" 

"Three isn't enough." 

"Excuse me?" 

I've been left wanting more ever since you stopped after just three games! 

"I'll fund it, so make ten, twenty, however many you want. Don't worry about sales, just focus on making them properly." 

"…!" 

"So, do you feel like signing the contract?" 

As soon as I finished speaking, Yoshiki eagerly picked up his fountain pen. 

***

In the moving car, 

"You seem to be in a good mood?" 

"Do I?" 

I turned to Jo Soo-deok as he asked. 

"You didn't seem to react when you were eating something delicious earlier. But now you're smiling brightly." 

I looked at my reflection in the window. 

'It's true.' 

My expression was much brighter than before. 

'Honestly, I do feel a bit proud.' 

I used to really love Meiyo's games when I was younger. 

Just thinking about 'Hero Edition,' 'Crouching Dragon Edition,' and 'Mengde Edition' still brings a smile to my face.

And that's not all. 

''PC Strategy Three Kingdoms' was really fun too.' 

I had to restart the game every time because I played it at school computer labs, friends' houses, and their computer academies… but the moment I held the mouse, I was genuinely happy. 

And now, I've acquired that company for just 6 billion won. 

'This is practically a steal.' 

Maybe that's why. 

In the window's reflection, I was smiling brightly. 

"Boss, money really is something good." 

"Hm… Chairman Dazai said there are things money can't buy." 

"Well, if you have enough money, you can pretty much solve anything…" 

I smirked. 

There are definitely things money can't fix. 

Even Elon Musk wouldn't have been able to acquire Meiyo in its early days. 

No matter how wealthy Mansour is, he can't go back in time to recruit Zidane and Ronaldo from the '90s. 

But I can. 

'Because I've truly come back in time.'

Unlike others who pay astronomical sums just because something has history… 

'My memories are mostly focused on the future.' 

The things I was so passionate about in my childhood. 

I can get all of them at a reasonable price. 

If it's something tied to my memories, it doesn't matter what it is. 

Thinking that way. 

"…!" 

A warmth spread through my chest. 

"The professor was right." 

"About what?" 

"Money really is good." 

"Oh, of course!" 

"It may not be useful to others… but for me, it's especially useful." 

Jo Soo-deok, not quite understanding my meaning, responded jokingly. 

"Money is pretty useful to me too, you know…" 

I gave a slight grin and fell into silent thought. 

Something from my memories that I really wanted to own. 

A few things came to mind. 

With that, I quietly lifted the corners of my mouth into a smile. 

*** 

Back at the hotel, I called the Boston Red Sox baseball team. 

"I'd like to speak with Mr. Baker, the Asia-Pacific scout. Could you please leave him my message?" 

About 30 minutes later, the hotel phone rang. 

(Mr. Park, what's going on? I thought you were really busy?) 

"Not that busy." 

We exchanged light greetings. 

When I asked if he knew how much the painting I bought from him sold for, he jokingly said not to tell him because it would make him jealous. 

But, well, Mr. Baker didn't really care. 

He seemed more satisfied with living a life related to baseball than with money. 

(Sun's performance has been excellent. He struggled a bit as a rookie, but after that, he's been dominating with his pitching.) 

"His ERA is good too, right?" 

(It's in the 3s, so it's fantastic.) 

"What about the Big Unit?" 

(He's being called a strikeout machine. Every time someone swings, they miss.) 

After a bit of pleasant chatting, he asked, 

(So, what's this call about?) 

"I wanted to ask you something." 

(You're asking me?) 

"It's related to sports." 

(…?) 

"How much would it cost to buy the Chicago Bulls?" 

I must have sounded like I was asking the price of candy at a store. 

For a few seconds, he didn't respond at all. 

(Are you serious?) 

"Of course." 

Jordan hasn't even reached his peak yet. 

Now might be the best and cheapest time. 

As I asked sincerely, his attitude started to shift. 

(I'd need to check for specifics, but… it's probably around 800 million dollars?) 

800 million dollars, which translates to roughly 1 trillion won. 

Even though the team was unpopular, the price had increased quite a bit after Jordan was drafted. 

(If it's because of Jordan, why don't you consider starting a player agency instead of buying the team?) 

"An agency?" 

(Actually, if it's not American capital, acquiring a team isn't easy. It's quite exclusive, you could say. But agencies are different. There's a lot of capital from Mexico and South America involved.)

So, they'll sell players but not the team, huh. 

"Well, there's nothing to be disappointed about." 

The Bulls were just a passing curiosity. 

In truth, the time I really watched basketball closely was… around the time Kobe and Iverson were going head-to-head. 

Now, it's time to ask something I'm genuinely curious about. 

"Do you happen to know anything about the situation in the UK?" 

(I don't know much, but I can get you basic information. After all, it's a small world, and through a few connections, we're all friends.) 

"I want to know how much it would cost to acquire Manchester United." 

(Manchester United, huh.)

Perhaps the name was unfamiliar to him. 

I could hear some shuffling noises on the other end of the line. 

(Let's see… their most recent championship was in the '66-'67 season?) 

"That sounds right." 

(Recently, a Scottish manager was appointed… other than that, there's nothing notable?) 

"Yes, that's correct." 

(Why would you want to buy such a club…?) 

"Who knows." 

(Wouldn't Liverpool be a better option? They've won seven championships in the last ten years…) 

But after that glorious history, they wouldn't win again until 2020… 

Maybe he noticed I wasn't reacting too enthusiastically. 

(Well, I suppose Manchester would be more affordable.) 

I could hear the sound of a calculator being used. 

After a few moments of calculations, he said, 

(No matter how expensive it gets, you should be able to acquire them for around 400 million dollars.)