These were people whom he would never have been able to approach if not for Middle Earth.
Just the fact that he was having a meal with them felt like a novel experience to Leeha.
“What?”
“Huh? Why?”
But depending on how one listened, it could be interpreted differently.
Ram Hwayeon was staring at Leeha more sharply than before.
“So? Are you saying you dislike it?”
“Huh? No! What, what are you talking about all of a sudden? Why would I dislike you, Ram Hwayeon?”
Leeha protested loudly as if he didn’t understand what she was saying, which made her demeanor soften.
She had cautious expectations.
“Well... then?”
If he didn’t dislike her, then what would his next answer be?
Ram Hwayeon was expecting that. Even Ram Hwajung’s knife paused for a moment, probably because she had the same thoughts as her unni.
“Huh? Then? What do you mean by then? I said I don’t dislike you.”
The problem was that only the involved parties didn’t realize it. As Ram Hwayeon glared at Leeha, Ram Hwajung split a lobster in half.
“Eat. Stupid.”
“Huh, what? Okay, okay—”
Leeha chewed on the lobster that was pushed into his mouth. Ram Hwayeon sighed and shook her head.
“Ugh, never mind. By the way, the suit you wore when you came here was already dry cleaned, so you should change into it tomorrow. That tuxedo you’re wearing now—”
“Ah, I borrowed this size, and it fits well.”
Leeha mumbled, chewing his food, and looked at his attire once again.
Despite being given on short notice, it fit perfectly on him.
Ram Hwajung tilted her head as she looked at Leeha.
“Yeah. Oppa’s size. Last time. Fi—”
“Hwajung!”
Ram Hwayeon hurriedly called her name, making her clam up.
Of course, there was only one reason why the suddenly prepared clothes fit him so well. Ram Hwayeon had jotted down all of Leeha’s sizes at the tailor shop when she bought him clothes last time.
‘There are several suits prepared for fitting... silly. If only he had come a few days earlier.’
Was the tuxedo he was wearing now a problem?
They had even prepared summer suits using various fabrics for the hot summer! With a boiling rage, Ram Hwayeon looked at Leeha.
“Huh? Hehe, is something on my face?”
Leeha wiped around his mouth with a napkin.
Even with his silly actions and foolish smile, objectively he seemed immature, yet her heart still fluttered.
Ram Hwayeon took a sip of her white wine.
It was a sudden drink that even surprised Ram Hwajung next to her.
“How have you been recently?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know you’ve been busy running around Middle Earth... You don’t know anything about Shin Nara?”
That was what she barely managed to ask.
Even in Ram Hwayeon’s network, she couldn’t find Lark and Shin Nara. But could Shin Nara just disappear like this?
‘What was all that talk in Fibiel’s palace then? Could she really be wandering around with a man like Lark suddenly?’
Ram Hwayeon shook her head precisely for that reason.
Knowing that Shin Nara wasn’t someone like that instinctively, she wondered if Leeha knew something she didn’t.
But Leeha knew nothing as well.
“No, nothing at all. I haven’t contacted Nara for a long time. Whenever I check my friends’ list, her location is always hidden. What is she doing and where? According to Bobae of Byulcho Guild, they are friends, right? Anyway, Bobae said it was clear that she was moving around with Lark. Hmm...”
Lark must have noticed that Tiamat had awakened.
So where could Shin Nara be, moving around with that Lark?
Most importantly, what would Shin Nara be doing there?
“Really? So, even you, Ha Leeha, can’t contact her?”
“That’s right. It’s frustrating.”
Leeha was just talking about Middle Earth, but Ram Hwayeon’s expression brightened noticeably.
Suddenly, Ram Hwajung, who had been quietly listening, lifted her head.
“Oh.”
“What’s up, Hwajung?”
She put down her fork and knife.
At that moment, the restaurant doors burst open.
“C-chairman! We haven’t finished cleaning the floor yet—”
“It’s fine.”
As an elderly man in a white suit walked in quickly, several men in black suits followed behind him in a rush.
Ram Long looked at her and spoke.
“It must be because this isn’t an act, right? No, even if it were an act, to this extent, one should know to pretend to be duped. Isn’t that right, Hwayeon?”
“... If that’s Father’s wish.”
“Heh, this guy.”
The titles of Director and Chairman were replaced with family terms. The atmosphere grew noticeably softer, but the content remained just as perplexing.
Ram Long once again looked at Leeha.
“Yes. It was about Middle Earth and Goople.”
“Yes. Goople is the company that created Middle Earth. Recently—”
“You met with the Operations team?”
“—Huh? What? Oh?”
For a moment, Leeha’s mind was struck by lightning.
What were the words Ram Long mentioned?
‘A program that the company can’t control,’ ‘investment,’ ‘gambling and odds.’
And the Operations team staff?
How did Ram Long know that?
Even Ram Hwayeon couldn’t hide her shock hearing about meeting the Operations team staff, but how could Ram Long know something Ram Hwayeon didn’t?
As Leeha pieced together Ram Long’s words, he recalled someone else’s words.
『Maintaining the right amount of tension in a stable condition is ideal, isn’t it? From the company’s perspective, they’re the industry leader, but they also have to manage their market share and consider the users’ perspective. Company revenue and, more broadly, the stock price are also important. The influence of extreme shareholders is quite significant.』
As GM’s voice replayed in his mind, Leeha finally realized who the ‘extreme shareholder’ was.
Seeing Leeha’s eyes widen, Ram Long laughed heartily once again.
“Ha ha ha! Indeed, you are a sharp shooter! So, how much have you figured out?”
“You invested, right? And a huge amount—”
The reason Ram Long didn’t discuss this openly and needed to clear the whole floor to talk with his family!
“Correct. I own 4.88% of all issued shares of Goople.”
Since meeting Leeha, Ram Long’s first directive to his son was the acquisition of Goople shares.
Considering the time that had passed since then,
“There’s no other institution, except for the primary shareholders, that holds more than I do.”
Ram Long Group had become a shareholder with enough influence to affect Goople as a whole.
Leeha stood up from his chair without realizing it.
* * *
Seeing Ram Long claim he could influence Goople, Leeha was shocked.
Then he quickly harbored doubt.
Ram Long Group held 4.88% of Goople’s stock.
“Four point eight-eight percent—is that a lot?”
Was that a significant amount?
Seeing Leeha’s bewildered expression, Ram Long looked dumbfounded.
“W-What?”
“Ha Leeha!? If you don’t know, just stay quiet!”
Only when Ram Hwayeon hastily pulled him back to his seat did Ram Long begin to laugh heartily.
“Not knowing, ha ha! There is a limit to not knowing! It’s enormous! Director!”
“Y-Yes, chairman!”
“Explain to him what holding 4.88% of Goople stocks means.”
Speaking generously, Ram Long poured himself a glass of wine.
Ram Hwayeon quickly realized that her father wasn’t entirely in a good mood.
Making one or two mistakes or lacking knowledge about economics could be seen as cute, but this level of ignorance!
“Ha Leeha, do you know the current market capitalization of Goople?”
“Market capitalization is... the total issued shares multiplied by the current stock price, right?”
“Exactly. It’s almost equivalent to the company’s current value. Goople’s current market capitalization in US dollars is...”
Ram Hwayeon quickly pulled out a pen from her pocket.
Leeha couldn’t read the number written on the napkin at a glance.
USD 2,305,554,309,174.
“What in the—? What is this? One, ten, hundred thousand, ten thousand—”
“Approximately 2.305 trillion dollars.”
“2 trillion!? Goople is worth 2 trillion—”
Though Leeha was astonished by the staggering figure, his shock was premature.
“2 trillion ‘US dollars.’ If you consider the exchange rate with Korea, you multiply it by about 1,100.”
TL’s Corner:
I honestly just want this to end.