God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 125: Episode 24 _ How Much Will You Give Me_(6)
7.
Kenji was wary of Han Simin, but in reality, his current rivals were the Specialists.
Their levels were similar, the fact that they moved as a single guild was similar, and the strength of their forces was similar.
He was overflowing with confidence that he could win if they clashed directly, but he knew better than anyone what happened when one settled for reality based on confidence alone.
That was why it had to be a stimulus.
He pondered in silence.
Minimum $2 million.
The minimum value he wanted to receive from the perspective of a seller trying to rip someone off.
He couldn’t deny it was an item he wanted to obtain, but he didn’t want to do a good deed for Han Simin by paying as much as $2 million.
It was regrettable, but he could just aim for the next opportunity.
An Imperial title would save a lot of time and was a position not easily obtained, but it wasn’t a position worth unconditionally investing billions just because one had the money.
To other players, a Kingdom’s noble was just the same noble.
They had a strong voice and could punish others if there was a legitimate reason.
That was exactly as far as it went.
The additional benefits gained were all for making a name in 『Fantastic World』 and being recognized by NPCs, not for targeting users, so there was no need to rush to get it.
So he gave up.
Because Kenji didn’t play the game, looking only a month or two ahead.
The name Goggle and the world’s first perfect artificial intelligence, BetaGo.
『Fantastic World』, combined with these two names, was not a game that would fail within a few years.
To become the strongest in such a place.
Wasn’t that something only those who looked far ahead could design?
“Damn it.”
That was what he thought.
He had managed to organize his regretful feelings only after arriving here.
Why did it have to be them, of all people?
Why didn’t he think of it?
That Han Simin wouldn’t have come to sell the item only to him.
’Of course, he would have spoken to them first.’
They were his connections and guild members.
Especially from Han Simin’s perspective, since they were customers who earned him a lot of money, he would have proposed it to them first.
Kenji would have been next.
No, whether he was second or third didn’t matter.
The problem was that his resolve not to buy was shaking.
’What do I do?’
In the meantime, the title conferment ceremony ended.
The conferment was nothing special.
The Emperor just declared it, and the three players knelt to pay their respects.
With a flash of light, the title would have been granted along with a hologram that any player could predict.
It was a title in name only.
If another player had received it, he would have snorted, saying it didn’t matter anyway.
But it was the Specialists.
“Tell them to report how much cash can be mobilized right now.”
“Yes, Guild Master.”
Even if they said they received Han Simin’s help, they were the ones who had handed him the word "defeat" several times.
Such people had been granted noble titles.
In a situation where he needed to build up strength to backstab them at any time, the widening gap in status meant that variables were disappearing.
Even if he couldn’t win with numbers, which was his only advantage, hindering their hunting might become impossible.
He might succeed once or twice, but the other side would possess far more cards to harass him in return simply because they were nobles.
Kenji clenched his fists.
Only then did Kenji realize why Han Simin had given up so easily and gone back yesterday.
It wasn’t just because the price didn’t match, and he thought he could sell it to someone else.
It definitely couldn’t be that.
No matter if it was an Imperial noble title, within Kenji’s common sense, there would be no player who could pay billions and buy it right away.
Even if there was intent, where would he find a rich person who could mobilize cash immediately?
It wasn’t because of the confidence that he could find someone, but the certainty that he could sell it.
’You will end up buying it anyway.’
He frowned, feeling as if Han Simin was speaking to him.
Even while securing the money, the voices of reason and instinct telling him to stop immediately were audible, but he couldn’t stop.
He had no choice but to boldly throw away his pride at the lip movement mocking him, asking how much he would give.
He had to.
That was the kind of game 『Fantastic World』 was.
A place where even a rich man like Kenji had to be ready to discard his dignity and roll in the dirt without a shred of hesitation to become the best.
The seat for the second negotiation was arranged.
* * *
Kenji was already at the very bottom of the food chain—the lowest of the low in the hierarchy.
It was a situation where he had to pay whatever price Han Simin called even if he just stayed still.
Yet, Han Simin wasn’t satisfied with that and drove a wedge in.
“Did you see this? The privileges of a noble are posted in the community. Actually, they are things you can get because it’s an Imperial Baron rather than just a noble. I didn’t know well, but it’s better than I thought?”
Kenji was at a loss for words.
A single post was uploaded immediately upon request to the Specialists!
From the countless benefits a player could gain by becoming a noble to the possibilities of future development.
It was too detailed for anyone to believe it was written by a player who had just become a Baron.
“Surprising, right? Although I filled in the missing parts a bit.”
One by one, meticulously, the know-how and profits from when Han Simin became a Baron to when he became a Viscount were listed.
A design solely for this day.
It was a quite troublesome, cumbersome, dirty, and cheap task, but Han Simin pulled it off.
Because it wasn’t a transaction for just a penny or two.
“5 million.”
Kenji’s face stiffened.
“You know, right? The title conferment ceremony is already over. I left some room, but persuading the Emperor is absolutely not an easy task. I also clung to the Emperor for three nights and four days, begging and pleading to make some room for the convenience of players, even though titles weren’t originally in the plan.”
Begging and pleading, my foot. He went and got it through a unilateral notification, but the lie felt real.
“Plus, it’s a deal that was already rejected once. The cost to heal my painful heart that has to trade despite my crumpled pride. And even the premium that has to be added when buying an item that’s out of season.”
He attached all sorts of nonsensical reasons, but Kenji had nothing to say.
After all, he came to buy.
Refuse again here because it’s too expensive?
In that case, money aside, his pride would hit rock bottom.
He was someone who could discard personal feelings for public matters, not someone who looked at the bottom at any time.
Being in a high position required aloofness.
“...Let’s trade.”
“Whoa. You’re a cooler trader than I thought.”
Moreover, Simin’s triumphant expression was saying that if he hesitated even a little, he was ready to raise the price at any time.
“I’ll give you the account number, so please deposit. Once the deposit is confirmed, I’ll hand over the item.”
“I will do so.”
Kenji, having been completely ripped off, left the spot with drooping shoulders.
$5 million.
Clearly, it might not be a huge amount of money to him.
Considering his asset scale and the money he had spent on the game so far, it was money he could invest without hesitation if he set his mind to it.
However, the problem was that it was an amount far deviating from the standard he had thought of.
And that he had paid five times the additional money while being dragged around without being able to proceed with the transaction as he wanted.
He didn’t like that.
“Phew.”
But what could he do?
He was a born businessman.
Even if he suffered a loss, he just had to find a way to leap forward again based on it.
Anyway, since he had won the position of an Imperial noble, he would have to arrange a way to utilize it well.
At the same time, he made one vow.
’Someday, I will infinitely PK the Specialists and Simin.’
Han Simin gained $5 million and one enemy.
8.
The flower of a festival is, of course, the deep night.
A cheerful atmosphere. Moderate alcohol. And money!
“Keuh. I wish we had events like this every day.”
“It’s because Simin is the kind of person who would sell sand in a desert; other people absolutely couldn’t do that, you know?”
“Ay. What is there that can’t be done? Everyone does it to make a living.”
Drinking beer while watching the cheerful people in the middle of the capital, not the Imperial Palace, Han Simin’s expression couldn’t be brighter.
$6.5 million!
It wasn’t a dog’s name, nor was it game money.
No, even if it were game money, 6.5 million would be enough to make one’s jaw drop if converted to cash.
He earned such money in just one day.
Without making any investment.
In the process, he had to use a lot of time, effort, and brainpower, but Han Simin was always ready to put in any amount of effort that didn’t cost money.
Creative Economy!
The field where one can earn the most money by creating something from nothing.
It’s not for nothing that people in IT or scientists make a lot of money.
They make and sell things others cannot.
Even if the demand is small, if there are just one or two people who can buy it, sitting on a cushion of money is instant.
“What should I do with this?”
“Now it seems like Simin has more money than me.”
“Oho, what are you saying? Dad’s money is originally all your money anyway.”
Looking at Han Simin, Kang Yeseul made a complicated expression.
“I bought it for no reason.”
She bought it getting swept up in the atmosphere, but she couldn’t find any immediate use for it.
At best, it was about being revered by NPCs and being in a higher position than other players, but how much time would the Specialists, who hunted all day, have to enjoy such advantages?
If she had bought an item with that money instead, her combat power would have increased more.
Even so, she bought it thinking there would be a use for it someday.
“It’s hard to level up anyway, so just hire mercenaries and hunt. I tried that once, and they really gave a lot of experience.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“How many did you use?”
“Well. A little over twenty?”
So Han Simin gave a tip.
Since she was a customer who paid a lot of money, he could at least give a tip on how to utilize it.
“Really? How much did you pay?”
“I got them for free.”
“...What the heck. What about the level?”
“I don’t know that well either. Roughly 150? 200?”
Yeseul stared at him blankly.
Of course, the flaw was that it was information that wasn’t helpful at all.
Han Simin, to whom it was none of his business, laughed and stood up holding a bottle.
“Where are you going?”
“Ah. I’m going to stop by the Imperial Palace for a moment. Since you’re going to go do quests again now, I intend to say goodbye before coming back.”
Jeong Seolah asking, and Han Simin answering kindly.
Kang Yeseul narrowed her eyes.
“You’re going to meet the princess, right?”
“Of course.”
“We’re going to leave in a little bit.”
“Do whatever.”
“Really?”
“I’m just going to say hello and come back.”
“Tsk. I thought you were going to sleep over.”
A smile of relief formed.
“Spending a night with such a beauty using money ripped from us! Unacceptable!”
“It’s okay. Today isn’t the only day.”
Yeseul was speechless.
With a victor’s smile, Han Simin walked away.
A sneer was plastered all over his lips.
“Ugh! So annoying! I hope you can’t get it up even if she takes everything off!”
All Kang Yeseul could do was shout a curse of rage.
* * *
Did they say good things happen in succession?
Returning to the territory, he saw one email full of luck.
“Advertisement?”
An email inquiring about product advertisement through his personal broadcast.
In fact, there were countless emails with such content in his inbox, but there was only one reason he read this email in particular.
“They’re giving a huge amount?”
The price!
A pay grade sufficient to captivate his heart!
Han Simin called the number written in the email.
* * *
