Chapter 25

Hmm, it's probably just a polite remark.

"Ahaha, don't mention it."

"I'm serious. Please contact me anytime."

Hmm, I want to contact you for something else.

Where else would I meet someone like you, an expert?

I'll throw it back to you.

"Can I contact you about opening a café?"

"Café opening? Hmm."

This time, Jeonghyun Choi took his time.

He seemed a bit reluctant.

Well, we're not that close, even if she's a friend of his wife.

It would be annoying for a busy businessman if I contacted him about trivial matters.

However.

"Yes, if you analyze the market and find a good location, I can help you a bit."

It was an unexpectedly positive response.

'Hmm?'

But it required some interpretation.

The expressions were ambiguous.

Try it, let me know, a bit, I might be able to help.

I know this from having worked with Team Leader Choi for a long time.

At least to my ears, it sounded like this:

[ Work hard on your preparation. If you prepare well, I'll make time to help you. But if you come without passion or preparation, there's nothing I can help you with. ]

Okay, that was enough.

"Ah, thank you! I'll prepare well and contact you again!"

"Haha, I really appreciate you coming today. See you next time."

"Sure!"

I shook hands warmly with Jeonghyun Choi again and turned around.

A refreshing night breeze rushed into my nose.

'Ah, the air is so good...'

I saw hope.

I had a feeling it would work out.

The tasks I needed to do, the next steps, came to mind like dominoes.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

When I checked, it was:

[ Min Chae-yeon: (tearful smile) ]

A single emoji with a smiling mouth and crying eyes.

'...Huh?'

I wondered what had happened and looked around.

'Where is she?'

It was getting dark, so it was hard to tell if the people standing around the parking lot were part of our group or not.

"Yoo-won, haven't you left yet?"

"Uh, have you seen Chae-yeon?"

"Chae-yeon? I don't know, I think she left with the others earlier."

"Really?"

I looked around the garden, but she wasn't there.

It was strange, so I sent a reply.

[ Shin Yoo-won: Where are you? ]

The number 1 next to the message disappeared immediately.

But there was no reply.

'What?'

I called Min Chae-yeon while walking to where I had parked my car.

In a corner of the parking lot, Min Chae-yeon was sitting on the hood of my car, which shone even more brightly in the darkness.

"Ah!"

I was so startled that I almost dropped my phone.

"You were here?"

Min Chae-yeon was smoothing her hair and talking about something else.

"I... I heard that fund managers have an obligation to inform their clients when profits are made."

"Really?"

"I don't know."

"What fund?"

"The Shin Yoo-won Fund."

...She's trying to scam me.

"When did you join?"

"I expressed my intention to join, but I haven't heard from you."

"Oh, that's because I wasn't interested in that café─"

"I was also supposed to get a free dinner, but I haven't heard from you."

Min Chae-yeon cut me off and pouted.

"...So?"

Min Chae-yeon stretched out her long fingers and pointed at my car.

"...How about a drive?"

Well.

That's not a big deal.

"Let's go. I'll take you."

"Sure!"

Min Chae-yeon jumped up and skipped to the passenger side.

"But didn't you say you get carsick?"

Min Chae-yeon, who was about to open the passenger door, stopped.

"I'm all better now."

"Really?"

"To Tae-joon-oppa, it's a secret, hehe."

At that moment.

A crescent moon-like smile appeared on her face.

'...'

I managed to pull myself together and sat in the driver's seat.

"...Your car is so beautiful."

A sweet shampoo scent wafted from beside me.

*

As soon as I dropped Min Chae-yeon off and got home, I logged into Interset Bookstore.

I searched for books on market analysis, location analysis, and entrepreneurship tips, and bought the ones with good reviews and sales rankings.

About 100 books.

"Phew."

I had a direction.

[ If you analyze the market and find a good location, I can help you a bit. ]

It seemed like the time had come to step up my game.

Since work-life balance is precious,

The next day.

Thump thump thump!

"Who is it?"

[ It's the delivery person. ]

Oh, he came quickly.

"Is this Shin Yoo-won?"

"Yes, hello!"

It was the same delivery person from last time.

"How did you... Oh, you ordered 100 books? Are you studying?"

"Hahaha... Uh, be careful! I'll help you carry them."

I helped the delivery person carry the 100 books up and down the building, just like last time.

"Is this the last of it? Thank you, good job!"

"...Ahem, yes, good job."

But the delivery person's steps seemed a bit off.

Why is he like that?

Ah!

"Delivery person, wait a moment!"

I quickly ran to the fridge and poured a cup of freshly converted orange juice.

"I was so busy I forgot. Have a drink before you go."

The delivery person took the cup but looked very apologetic.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I keep asking for things like this, but I keep thinking about the juice I had last time."

That juice was indeed delicious.

"No, no, enjoy it!"

"Ah──! How can juice be this delicious? Where can I buy this? Is it imported?"

It is imported, but I don't know where to buy it.

I just gave him a 1-liter pack of orange juice.

"You can take this and search for it."

The delivery person shook the juice pack and felt its considerable weight, then smiled broadly.

"Ahaha, it's still half full. I'll go home and search for it. Thank you, good job!"

After sending the delivery person off and turning around, I saw a room filled with 100 books.

'Another mess.'

I wanted to clean it up quickly.

"Tam!"

I fed the 100 books to Tam one by one.

This was also a task.

"Oh, it's getting a bit warm."

Why is spring so short in Korea?

──The power of 'Quantity to Quality Conversion' is activated.

──The estimated work time is 3 hours and 10 minutes.

──The 'Preview' skill is activated!

──Please select the result.

──A. 87 books in like-new condition (randomly selected)

──B. Excerpts of key principles and tips for café opening

──C. The photo with the most people from the 100 books

"Wow!"

87 like-new books.

I remember that when I put 100 stock investment books in, it converted to about 82 or 83.

It's not exactly 87%, but the conversion efficiency seems to have improved quite a bit.

'Will this reach 100%?'

If it reaches 100%, I can convert quantity to quality without any loss.

The work time seems to have decreased significantly as well.

"Coco! Let's eat batteries!"

I need to raise the kids quickly.

Option C would be perfect for workshops, but I don't need it as a jobless, unaffiliated person.

Option B, the excerpts, is what I wanted!

The second study guide!

──'Quantity to Quality Conversion' has started.

I could sell these study guides as a series later.

I left the task to Tam and checked my balance.

I wanted to set a clear initial budget.

────────

Balance: 20,831,381 KRW

────────

I had 20 million left in my main account.

It had been 65 million, but it dropped to 20 million as I continued to buy and sell second-hand items.

'...I did show off a bit.'

After spending on various things, the purchase amount, loan interest, and even giving some pocket money to Yoo-jin, this much was left.

Actually, it wasn't supposed to drop to 20 million.

'Really funny.'

One day, I noticed that the car registration tax and insurance premium had been deducted in one go.

'Who said legal cloning?'

Very thorough.

But to drive a Porsche Panamera just by paying taxes?

'Be grateful!'

Min Chae-yeon kept praising the car, saying it was so beautiful and great!

A symbol of success!

'...I did park it in a public parking lot, though.'

And next.

In the account linked to the cryptocurrency exchange.

────────

Balance: 934,180,958 KRW

────────

900 million!

930 million!

"Hehehe..."

The money I made from cryptocurrency, minus the 1000 KRW withdrawal fee.

Today, I saw that Exittoo had dropped to 140 KRW, but it seems I sold at a good time.

And my stock balance!

────────

Purchase price: 10,488 KRW

Current price: 18,900 KRW

Held quantity: 2,270 shares

Purchase amount: 23,807,644 KRW

Evaluation amount: 42,903,000 KRW

Profit: +19,095,356 KRW

Profit rate: +80.21%

────────

The current evaluation amount is 42 million.

After selling about 40 million at 19,940 KRW, my held quantity is almost half.

The stock price has also started to consolidate and slightly dropped since last week.

'It's fine. Really fine.'

Still, the profit rate is 80%.

Moreover, the 40 million I invested in HT Biologics was from the profits of my initial cryptocurrency investment.

Making 40 million from 40 million, and then making 900 million from that 40 million.

If I told other investors, they might think I was scamming them.

'I'm crazy, even to myself.'

For a beginner investor like Shin Yoo-won to do so well.

I also thought I should continue to follow HT Biologics and Exittoo.

It would be perfect to print out related materials regularly on the days I set and convert them to quality.

Anyway, now for the settlement!

I entered all the balances into a calculator and added them up.

[ 997,915,339 ]

900 million, 90 million, 700 thousand, 90 thousand.

Just 2.1 million more to reach 1 billion!

"...Ugh."

This is almost 1 billion in assets.

'I have 1 billion?'

It felt like a smooth road was laid out before me.

'Ah! I'm 2.1 million short of a smooth road.'

I thought about earning a bit more to reach 1 billion and start the business.

'Why bother?'

The important thing wasn't the symbolic number of 1 billion.

Economic freedom is just a prerequisite for happiness.

What I would achieve with that money.

How I would enjoy each day.

How I would spend time with the people I love.

These were the questions that would bring me closer to the 'shining thirties' I dreamed of.

'Let's try everything I want!'

The best would be to do what I want and make more money.

And the first goal was, of course, the café.

Something I've wanted and yearned for for a long time─

My own.

My café.

Coffee that I select and make to my taste.

Interior and atmosphere designed exactly as I want.

A small, beautiful space created solely by my will, without any standards, rules, or constraints.

If it goes well, I could even franchise it!

Open it right next to <Blue Place> and compete with it!

'Ugh.'

Just imagining it made me feel good.

'Well, if it doesn't work out, I can try something else.'

After all, I have endless opportunities.

With Tam and Coco, I can do anything well, and everything will go smoothly.

In that sense, Jeonghyun Choi's advice was welcome.

[ You need a testing period. To see if this business suits you, what the essence of the business is, what challenges there are, and what skills are needed. ]

It meant I didn't have to put all 900 million into one basket.

'Budget: up to 100 million.'

I immediately went to a store leasing site.

[ StoreBazaar ]

[ The best store trading portal in Korea ]

When I entered, information about stores across the country was listed.