Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend

Chapter 204

Translator: Dreamscribe"Aigoo. You punk. I told you not to overdo it."

"No, it's really nothing. Everyone's just making a big fuss."

"A big fuss? Your employees all saw you stagger while reviewing documents!"

That was my mistake.

I hadn't expected my intuition to deliver such a powerful shock.

"Anyway, the doctors said there's nothing wrong with me."

"Well, that's a relief."

"Oh, right. But hyungnim, aren't you heading to the U.S. soon? I heard you're going to visit our Trinity Guild over there."

"Yeah. I made a quick trip last time, but everyone was so busy with work that I couldn't really meet with anyone properly. This time, though, they say everyone's gathering."

He'd said he was disappointed that not many people were there last time.

But this time, even President Aiden was personally attending, so hyungnim was very much looking forward to it.

"Want to come along?"

"It's enough that the Guild Master is going. I've got things to do here."

"Things to do?"

"Oh, looks like everyone's here."

When the staff filed into the VIP hospital room, hyungnim clicked his tongue.

"Hey. You're supposed to be resting, and you're doing this......?"

"There's something I absolutely have to take care of today."

"Ah, hello, Chairman-nim."

With the Chairman present, the staff were visibly tense.

"Tsk. You guys, if this brat starts overworking himself again, stop him immediately. Got it?"

"Yes, sir. We'll wrap the meeting up within an hour."

"Cut it to thirty minutes."

"......Yes, sir!"

I shooed hyungnim along.

"Come on. Please go already. The staff are walking on eggshells."

"I'm going to get a report on whether you actually wrap it up in thirty minutes or not."

"I said, go get ready for your trip to the U.S."

"Hmph."

Only after I finally managed to send hyungnim out could we begin the meeting.

"Did you bring what I asked for?"

"Ah, yes. Right here."

The documents on Trump Theme Stocks, the ones that had given me such a strong jolt earlier.

"......"

Sure enough.

It wasn't as intense as before, but a current was still running through my fingertips.

This was a signal to sell.

'But why?'

Trump Theme Stocks were smashing through the ceiling practically every day.

Thanks to that, we'd reaped enormous profits.

On top of that, with Trump's election all but certain at this point, why would it suddenly be telling me to dump the Theme Stocks?

"What about the other documents?"

"Yes. These are the Hillis-related Theme Stocks you asked about."

If it was telling me to dump Trump Theme Stocks out of the blue, it meant either Trump had no interest in those industries, or he might renege on his campaign promises.

But my intuition wasn't signaling me to sell just some of them. It was telling me to sell all of them.

That could only mean one thing.

The real winner of this election wasn't Trump. It was someone else.

That someone was Hillis.

"......"

And yet the Hillis-related Theme Stocks were giving me no signal at all.

Something felt off, so I flipped through the documents one by one.

A few gave faint signals here and there, but that was it.

Eighty percent were giving me nothing, while only twenty percent were sending weak signals.

"If Hillis were the likely winner, all of these Theme Stocks would have gone up, right?"

"Yes. In fact, when she was leading in the polls, every single one of these stocks hit the Upper Limit Price without exception. But now that Trump has overtaken her, they've all hit rock bottom."

"Then what if Hillis regains the momentum?"

"Every stock would skyrocket again, just like last time."

But my intuition was sending a signal that only some of them would rise.

Did that mean something else entirely?

"But what if most of them don't go up, and only a handful do? What would that mean?"

"That would probably mean...... a new candidate is emerging from the Democratic Party."

"A new candidate?"

"Yes. Theme Stocks are usually tied to Hillis personally. But some of them are connected to the Democratic Party itself. For only a portion of them to rise, as you're suggesting, a new candidate would have to enter the race from the Democratic side. And it would have to be someone capable of overwhelming Trump's surging approval ratings."

A fierce jolt shot through me at that.

"A candidate capable of overwhelming Trump's approval ratings......"

"There's only one person. It's the current president, Aiden."

"!?"

This time, the same shock I'd experienced earlier slammed into me.

I barely caught myself as my body threatened to sway again.

"C-CEO-nim?"

"Bring me every single Theme Stock related to Aiden. All of them."

"CEO-nim, maybe you should rest for today first......"

"I'm fine. And sell off all the Trump Theme Stocks we're holding."

The staff were flustered by the sudden orders and scrambled around in confusion, but,

"Quickly. Time is money when it comes to investing."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

They pulled themselves together and got moving.

But...... was Aiden really going to make a comeback?

* * *

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yes. CEO Jung Jin-ho definitely gave those orders."

Hwang Dae-woon had already rushed to the hospital yesterday in a panic when he heard Jin-ho had been suddenly admitted.

But Jin-ho, the workaholic that he was, had been working even from his hospital bed.

On top of that, it looked like he was about to stir up something big again.

"Didn't they say Trump winning is practically a done deal?"

"That's correct."

"And he sold off all the Trump-related Theme Stocks? While they're hitting new High Points day after day?"

Vice President Kang Ji-hwan also wore a somewhat troubled expression.

"Well...... he sold off all the Trump Theme Stocks and told us to buy something else."

"Something else? What? Is there anything outperforming Trump Theme Stocks right now?"

"Aiden Theme Stocks."

"......!?"

Hwang Dae-woon doubted his own ears for a moment.

"Aiden? Wait. Did he say Aiden is making a comeback or something?"

"No. There's been no talk of replacing the candidate. The deadline for a candidate swap is coming up fast. If they'd been planning to do it, it would have come up a long time ago."

"And he's buying Aiden Theme Stocks? That guy who's already coasting out his final days, getting ready to retire?"

"Aiden has already refused to run for reelection multiple times and still holds the same position. Even people on the ground put the chances of Aiden returning at zero percent."

But Jung Jin-ho had sold off all the Trump Theme Stocks at their High Point and pivoted straight to Aiden. What else could that mean?

Trump had been nothing more than a tool for making money.

Jin-ho was betting that the real next president would be Aiden.

"If Aiden does come back, he'd catch up to Trump's current lead in the polls. The situation with China and North Korea is getting critical, isn't it? China is engulfed in civil war, and North Korea is showing signs of a coup d'état everywhere."

On top of that, U.S. forces had entered North Korea alongside the UN and were taking control of the region.

That had pushed the approval ratings for both the Democratic Party and Aiden even higher.

"It's possible that CEO Jung had his eye on Aiden from the very beginning. Everything happening on the global stage right now is playing in Aiden's favor."

"So you're saying Trump was really just about the money?"

"Yes. The profits from this round have been staggering. We made hundreds of trillions of won in a single stroke. To carry out whatever CEO-nim is planning next, he's going to need an enormous amount of capital. Maybe that's exactly what he's been strategizing for."

Jung Jin-ho had one terrifying plan in the works.

It was the development and distribution of the Bio AI Chip.

The starting point would be Africa, followed by China and North Korea.

After that, the entire world.

"But to make that happen, he needs astronomical funding."

"And Trump earned it for him?"

"Yes. The problem is, even after earning that much, he still needs more."

"So now Aiden has to earn the rest?"

"Exactly."

It was almost funny.

A former president, and now a sitting president, taking turns filling Kwangwoon's coffers.

"More importantly, Aiden has been very cooperative with Kwangwoon. Trump, on the other hand, is a loose cannon. There's no predicting what he might do to us. Aiden, by contrast, is stable."

"But you said there's no way Aiden is coming back."

That was the problem.

Aiden seemed thoroughly fed up with politics and had firmly declared he would absolutely not return.

"......Chairman-nim. You're heading to the U.S. today, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I'm going later."

"Then you'll be meeting President Aiden there."

"Right. We agreed all the Guild Members would gather toda...... Ah!"

It clicked. Hwang Dae-woon clapped his hands together.

"Don't tell me he wants me to convince Aiden?"

"What did CEO Jung say to you at the hospital yesterday?"

"No, Jin-ho just told me to hurry up and get ready to go to the U.S......"

"......"

Vice President Kang Ji-hwan didn't say another word.

"So that's what he meant?"

* * *

Today was a meaningful day.

In any organization, any company, the person who first built it holds a special place.

The Trinity Guild was no different.

The power and significance this Guild held, and what it stood for, could be considered later.

Today was the day its founder was visiting the U.S. branch.

"Is Hwang Dae-woon on his way?"

"Yes. We're treating him as a top-priority guest and providing maximum security. But......"

"But?"

"Apparently, as soon as Hwang Dae-woon arrived, he met with the Democratic Floor Leader."

"Steve?"

Since Hwang Dae-woon wasn't a guest invited by the White House, and wasn't visiting the White House directly but rather the Guild branch, there was no obligation for him to come see Aiden first.

Still, his itinerary was unusual.

His first meeting was with the Floor Leader.

On top of that, Floor Leader Steve wasn't even a member of the Trinity Guild.

Then why on earth......

"Several other congressmen are with them as well, apparently."

"Why?"

"We don't have that information yet."

It was puzzling, but Aiden decided not to think too deeply about it.

He would be leaving politics soon enough.

Whatever Hwang Dae-woon discussed with the Floor Leader, it had nothing to do with him.

"Then let's head out too."

Today, his only plan was to go not as President Aiden but as Gamer Aiden to the building where the Guild Members had gathered, meet Hwang Dae-woon together, and enjoy himself to the fullest.

"Mr. President. The Floor Leader and the congressmen urgently wish to see you."

"Tell them I have plans today. If it's not urgent, it can wait."

"They say it's an extremely urgent matter. And Chairman Hwang Dae-woon will also be present."

"Chairman Hwang too?"

The sudden meeting between Chairman Hwang and the Floor Leader had caught him off guard.

He'd told himself it was nothing to worry about.

But now the two of them were bringing a whole contingent of congressmen along to see him.

Something wasn't right.

"Mr. President. It is an honor to meet with you like this."

Before long, Hwang Dae-woon, carrying himself with the presence befitting a tycoon, entered with the congressmen.

Aiden hadn't expected to meet like this at the White House, but he shook hands warmly all the same.

"But what is all this about? Why have the Floor Leader and the congressmen all come together like this......?"

Aiden swept his gaze over the Floor Leader and the congressmen.

An unmistakable resolve burned in their eyes.

"Mr. President."

It was Floor Leader Steve who spoke first.

"Today, I had a conversation with Chairman Hwang Dae-woon. And I came to understand what must be done for the future of our country, and what decisions must be made for the sake of our people."

"Wh-Why are you being so serious all of a sudden?"

"Mr. President. There are only three days left until the candidate replacement deadline. Please come back."

"Wh-What?"

Aiden stared back and forth between Steve and Hwang Dae-woon in disbelief.

"If a mere businessman may be so bold, you are the only one capable of managing the chaos in China, North Korea, and America itself, Mr. President. If you choose to run for reelection, Kwangwoon will do everything in its power to support you."

"Hold on. Kwangwoon was clearly backing Trump......"

"We have never once officially endorsed a specific candidate. However, this time, we pledge our full support to you, Mr. President."

Was he supposed to believe that?

These were the people who had conspired with Trump to stage that assassination attempt!

"Mr. President. It is said that God chooses a nation's leader. And right now, God has chosen you. Everything is aligning in your favor. Please, enter the race."

"Y-You people......! I told you time and again that I'm retiring!"

"You cannot abandon America like this!"

From the Floor Leader to the congressmen, they were completely relentless.

"I'm not doing it!"

"You have to!"

"We are not leaving this room until you agree!"

How hard had he fought to escape this place?

How hard had he worked to find a new life?

And now they wanted him to go through all of that again?

"I won't do it! Absolutely not!"