Chapter 14: I Became a Boss
If I wanted to open a Gate and pump oil from the seabed, I'd have to go down there in a submarine myself.
Or own an offshore drilling ship.
Those were probably insanely expensive.
I doubted even eighty billion won would be enough.
This won't work.
I didn't own a submarine.
I didn't own an oil drilling ship.
I couldn't even swim.
I once got scared at an aquarium and turned around at the entrance.
Granted, I had been a child.
Anyway!
This is definitely something I should leave to a professional.
I took out my phone and called the loan shark.
"Boss, can I come to your office right now?"
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Why?
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"I have something to talk about."
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About what?
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"Oil."
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Oil? Planning to give it as a gift or something?
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"What? Why would I gift someone oil? Who would I even give it to?"
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...Never mind. Pretend you didn't hear that. So what's this about oil?
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"What would you do if I told you I know land with oil under it?"
There was a short silence on the other end.
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...Come over. We'll talk in person.
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Friends Capital Office.
"Like I said, I know where there's oil."
The loan shark, Friend, stared at me with a cigar in his mouth.
"Let's say that's true. Is this an oil company?"
"No."
"This is a place that lends money."
"I know."
"Then why are you talking to me about oil?"
"You're the only person I can talk to about something like this."
The loan shark's eyebrow twitched.
"I'm the only one?"
"Yes."
Silence followed.
Cigar smoke drifted toward the ceiling.
"Do you own the land?"
"Not yet."
"Source of the information?"
"That's confidential."
His eyes sharpened.
That Would you look at this guy? expression returned.
"Is the information reliable?"
"Absolutely."
"Based on what?"
"I confirmed it myself."
He stared at me for a while.
It looked like he was evaluating something.
Technically, I hadn't confirmed it myself.
But the system had said so.
There was no way it was wrong.
"How much oil?"
I recalled the system message.
[Searching...]
[Search complete.]
[Approximately 15 billion barrels of crude oil are stored in "Endless Desert," Tower of Fate Floor 25.]
"Fifteen billion barrels."
The cigar fell from the loan shark's hand.
Tap.
"...What?"
"Fifteen billion barrels. What's crude oil selling for per barrel right now?"
"Wait. Wait a second."
He raised a hand to stop me.
I'd never seen that expression on his face before.
He hadn't even looked like that when I talked about 1.06 trillion won.
"Fifteen billion barrels means..."
He grabbed a calculator.
His fingers trembled slightly.
"Even if we assume one hundred dollars per barrel..."
He stopped typing.
Looked at the screen.
Typed again.
Then stopped again.
"One point five trillion dollars."
The office fell silent.
"Dollars."
I emphasized it again.
The loan shark slowly raised his head.
"...You're serious?"
"I told you. I confirmed it myself."
"How?"
"I already said that's confidential."
"Let's say you're telling the truth. Why not report it to Korea Gas Corporation or someone? Why do this yourself? You're already rich."
"I want to live like a dragon."
"A dragon?"
He stared at me for a while before letting out a dry laugh.
"Forget it. I know nothing about oil. Handle it yourself."
"Hmm. I thought you'd do anything if there was money in it."
"In a way, that's not wrong. But this isn't my field. It's not suited to me. Go home."
With the loan shark clearly telling me to leave, I had no choice.
It also seemed like he thought I was talking nonsense.
Well, I guess it's hard to believe. Still...
I really wanted to own an oil company.
It wasn't like I had some grand ambition.
You dig a hole in the ground and money pours out.
Why wouldn't I want to do it?
If only I could.
But when I thought about actually establishing and running another company, learning all kinds of things, and managing everything...
I don't think I can do that.
Obviously, I knew absolutely nothing about running a corporation.
Honestly, I didn't even want to learn.
Why?
It's annoying.
My original plan had been to put the loan shark forward as the professional manager while I simply collected the money.
But that plan had failed before it even began.
What should I do now?
Whatever. I'll just play games.
I returned home and launched my game.
I opened the game community to check a strategy guide for the newly updated raid.
Then I noticed a top post on the Free Board.
[Title: Isn't This Game Way Too Expensive These Days???]
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I think I spend at least 200,000 won every month just on mandatory packages. Add costumes and random extra purchases for whatever I'm missing, and it's almost 500,000 won a month. Come on, guys, make some noise. This game is too expensive!!!
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As expected, the comments were a disaster.
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Is someone holding a knife to your throat and forcing you to buy packages?
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┗ Yeah. If you don't buy them, you fall hopelessly behind. That's basically the same as being threatened with a knife lol...
┗ Then play according to your financial level. If you hate that, just quit already.
┗ Exactly. Broke support-player bastards should just quit instead of whining all day.
This reminds me of the old days.
Not that long ago, really.
I remembered how I first became a gold farmer.
I really worked hard at the game back then.
I completed every single piece of content that rewarded currency.
Then reinvested all of it into my character.
After all that effort, I finally obtained a Legendary weapon.
