At Horny Princess Games, the morning began with a small commotion.
"Director Jin is here too."
Zhao Bowen, still a little out of breath, had burst into Fen Su’s office. Spotting Jin Wu sitting there, he quickly gave a polite nod.
Jin Wu returned the nod with mild confusion. "What’s going on? Isn’t Horny Princess still operating at a loss?"
Though he hadn’t been in the company long, he’d been studying hard. He knew enough to recognize the game’s weak financial state.
Zhao Bowen’s eyes lit up as if he’d been waiting to be asked. "That’s just it! Horny Princess bleeds money because the players left, and hardly anyone spends anymore. But today—I checked the backend—someone recharged three hundred thousand dollars in one go!"
Jin Wu blinked. Fen Su sat forward, skeptical. "Three hundred thousand? Not thirty, not three thousand?"
"Three. Hundred. Thousand!" Zhao Bowen raised three fingers like a gambler who just hit the jackpot. "And I finally get it! Mr. Kim priced that ridiculous equipment set sky-high, not for ordinary players, but for whales . To them, a few thousand or a hundred thousand—it’s pocket change. We’ve been fretting about player loss, but Mr. Kim saw further ahead. If even one or two rich guys roll the dice, we get a sudden surge of funds. Genius!"
Jin Wu and Fen Su exchanged a look. Neither could deny Zhao’s logic. Fen Su scratched his head. "I’ll admit it. When I first saw that price, I thought Mr. Kim had lost his mind. But now... sure enough, Mr. Kim is still Mr. Kim."
But Jin Wu frowned. "Still, this isn’t sustainable, is it? You can’t expect rich people to keep paying hundreds of thousands every time. What if they stop?"
That gave even Zhao Bowen pause. Fen Su rubbed his stomach—still bloated from yesterday’s feast at the team building—and waved it off. "No point worrying. Mr. Kim clearly has his own plans. For now, transfer the three hundred grand into the main account. That way, when he checks, he’ll be in a good mood."
At Steel Cup T-shirt Factory, Cho Rin intercepted Kim Suho just as he was finishing his morning coffee. "Mr. Kim, Uncle Wang just called—the cafeteria renovation is complete. He wants you to light the first fire in the kitchen, to set a good start."
Kim Suho’s eyes brightened immediately. "The cafeteria’s done? Perfect timing. Let’s go."
He checked the clock: still two hours before system settlement. A visit would kill time nicely.
Cho Rin followed, smiling. "Mr. Kim, you’re in a really good mood today."
He raised a brow. "Am I?"
"You’ve been smiling all day," she teased.
At the factory cafeteria, a red carpet stretched across the entrance, framed by an inflatable arch and rows of flower baskets. It looked more like a hotel opening than a staff canteen.
Kim Suho blinked. "Who put all this here?"
Cho Rin checked her phone. "Decoration company. Apparently, they wanted to congratulate us on the completion."
Kim Suho nodded. "Well, at least the money’s not wasted."
From inside, Wei Wu waddled out, jogging as best he could. He’d lost a little weight from the daily runs but still puffed heavily. "Mr. Kim, you’re here! We’re all waiting for you to light the first fire."
In the back kitchen, staff gathered to watch. Kim Suho struck the lighter, the flame blooming under the stove. He grinned to himself—an auspicious sign. Maybe the system settlement would go smoothly, too.
Wei clapped happily. "Mr. Kim, the leisure lounge upstairs is ready too. After this, I’ll cook something for you. You must try the first dish from the cafeteria."
Kim Suho nodded. "Alright, let’s see your skills."
Upstairs, the new lounge impressed even him. A pool table, ping pong, treadmills, massage chairs—the works. "Which can you play?" he asked Cho Rin.
She laughed. "Ping pong, barely. Only ever played in school."
"Good enough." Kim Suho tossed her a paddle and took the other. They volleyed a few clumsy rallies, the ball bouncing off walls and chairs, until laughter echoed in the lounge.
Soon a staffer came running: "Lunch is ready!"
Downstairs, six steaming dishes waited. Kim Suho sampled them one by one. "Not bad at all," he admitted. "The taste is on par with a four-star restaurant."
He gestured generously. "I can’t finish all this alone. Everyone dig in."
Wei Wu flinched, his stomach knotting at the memory of yesterday’s roast suckling pig incident. He bowed out quickly. "Mr. Kim, I... I’m still full. You enjoy."
Kim Suho smirked but let him off the hook.
Back in his office, Kim Suho checked the time. Just minutes until noon. This update is available on N0velFire.ɴet
His grin widened. Settlement was almost here. He leaned back in his chair, consciousness dipping into the system panel.
[System Funds: 3.99M / 4M spent]
[Personal Assets: $1,942]
[Settlement Cycle: One month—countdown: 2 minutes, 37 seconds...]
Finally. Everything lined up perfectly. No rogue sales, no last-minute profits. This time, he would secure the full four million.
Kim Suho sat frozen, blinking at the glowing system panel in front of him.
[System funds: 300,308 / 4,000,000]
[Personal assets: $1,942]
[Settlement cycle: one month (countdown: 4 minutes 38 seconds...)]
He rubbed his eyes. One, ten, hundred, thousand... three hundred thousand?!
"When the hell did I suddenly get three hundred grand in system funds?"
This morning, it was still a pathetic $308. Now, in the span of two hours, it had ballooned by three hundred thousand. His heart sank.
"That motherfucker must have pulled something again..."
The countdown ticked lower. Suho realized with a stab of pain that the $4 million reward he had worked so hard to secure was about to vanish before his eyes. Four. Million. Dollars. Money he had never even touched in two lifetimes. Gone, just like that.
He slumped back into his chair, devastated.
[System settlement in progress...]
[Settlement completed. Fund conversion begins.]
[Conversion complete. System funds replenished.]
[Side task complete: Host has acquired a second company. Reward has been distributed.]
Suho snapped upright. He checked the panel again.