It’s an Academic Fact That Rankers Are Model Students – Chapter 277

Chapter 277: To eat a fight, you must first make it bite-sized (1)

Kyung-joon standing in front of the Grand Magic Tower Arc-en-Ciel.

He saw the Arc-en-Ciel sign in front of him.

To be precise, part of the sign was broken, so it looked like this: 『Aㄹkaㅅᅟᅦᆯ』.

Not only that, but the sign itself was already tilted about 30 degrees, and the light that used to brightly illuminate the letters was gone.

━Heehee! This is mine! Free toilet paper, jackpot!

Tada!

There was even a petty thief, like those you would see in a ruined supermarket in a disaster movie.

“That’s what the broken window effect is all about.”

<^오^>

<Actually, not only the windows but also the ceiling is broken.>

The ceiling of Arc-en-Ciel, which had stood proudly under the sky, was not only pierced but completely gone.

“The ceiling is pierced, but the stock price is piercing through the floor.”

<Currently, it’s about the same price as a roll of toilet paper of the same area. Maybe the toilet paper that the thief just stole is more expensive than a share of stock.>

Although Kyung-joon had successfully stopped the mage tower virus incident, Arc-en-Ciel was now in ruins, unbefitting the name of Grand Magic Tower.

However.

There was a hidden story behind this.

<It’s all because of what Master did>

“Well, that’s true.”

In fact.

The fact that Arc-en-Ciel’s stock price had become a piece of toilet paper was all planned and intended by Kyung-joon.

Originally, a ‘circuit breaker’ was supposed to be in place, suspending stock trading until Arc-en-Ciel recovered to its normal state.

However.

Kyung-joon deliberately released it, causing Arc-en-Ciel to become a ruined mage tower like this.

This was the third bait Kyung-joon had prepared for Siam.

If you ask why he deliberately ruined it like this……

“Just wait and see. You’ll find out.”

< (๑˃؂˂๑)>

<That’s right. Just wait and see. But who are you talking to?>

“To you. You?”

<I’m talking to Master too.>

“Hehehe.”

<Hehehe.>

The two started laughing at each other like crazy people with ulterior motives.

However.

To give a little hint about Kyung-joon’s intentions for those who are curious…

Just think about the reason he participated in the World’s Top Magic Competition.

Kyung-joon wanted to obtain the right to officially establish a mage tower in the Fael Alliance through the competition.

Because mage towers are the general term for representative private magic research institutions of the Fael Alliance.

In fact, right now, the Fael University students who participated in the competition with Kyung-joon have already established their own mage towers and are working hard.

Kyung-joon originally intended to work hard with them, but…

After hearing from Ezeri about the Arc-en-Ciel mage tower incident, a brilliant idea came to his mind.

In short.

“Let’s stop chatting and go inside to eat the ruined mage tower, shall we?”

<Indeed. It’s a mage tower jumping event following the Player Jumping Event.>

“That’s right.”

Players are jumping, so there’s no reason why the mage tower Kyung-joon will have shouldn’t jump as well.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

The executive floor of Arc-en-Ciel.

There were holes in the walls of the building, and various office equipment was broken and scattered on the floor.

Not only was the building in need of repair, but it hadn’t been properly cleaned up since a month ago.

“How did this place end up like this……”

“They say even dragons don’t know what will happen to people, or rather, elves, tsk tsk……”

“Are there any seats for the others here? There’s nothing intact, be it chairs or desks!”

People were barely gathered in this chaotic conference room.

Middle-aged elves and fairies adorned themselves with luxurious goods and suits.

People who looked like they were saying, “I’m rich.”

They were the shareholders who owned Arc-en-Ciel…

And Ezeri was also among them in this grand event called the 『Shareholders’ Meeting』.

<CMO of the failing Arc-en-Ciel>

▼Ezeri Capirus (NPC)

‘In the end, the shareholders’ meeting has been held without proper preparation……!’

Ezeri, who was directly under Merde.

After the mage tower virus incident, she inherited the CMO position.

The honorable CMO of the Grand Magic Tower Arc-en-Ciel!

……Not really.

It was a trash can-like CMO position where she inherited all the disadvantages and responsibilities in place of the deceased Merde.

‘The stock price keeps plummeting, no, there’s no bottom left to plummet anymore…… How can a roll of toilet paper be more expensive than our stock……!’

Arc-en-Ciel was now nothing more than a failing mage tower, just waiting for delisting and bankruptcy.

Nevertheless, Siam Tinya, the Magic Tower Master of Arc-en-Ciel……

“It’s okay. The stock is already a piece of toilet paper, the facilities and materials are all scheduled to be auctioned off at the price of empty bottles, and we’re on the verge of delisting and bankruptcy next month…… But yes, there will definitely be a way to overcome this crisis. Hoho.”

She continued to say this calmly.

“Why are you so calm?! Huh?!”

Ezeri asked Siam in a frustrated tone.

How could she be so calm when her own mage tower was on the verge of collapse?

Perhaps, as Siam, known as the top of the business world, she might have a hidden, unimaginable method that no one could predict.

“Even if I go bankrupt, I’ll still be able to live comfortably off the preferred stock dividends from the other 99 mage towers I own. Hoho.”

……But there was no such thing, she was just calm.

“Gaaaah!!”

Ezeri in pain.

Siam had been like this since a month ago.

‘I miss you, Merde! I used to call you a fuddy-duddy, but there was someone even worse! I’m so sorry for not recognizing your hard work, sob!’

Anyway.

Even as a trash can-like CMO, Ezeri had to somehow resolve this situation.

‘If only Kyung-joon had stayed here, he would have been a tremendous help……’

Kyung-joon, the hero of Mage Tower Valley and the one who was even awarded the title of hero by the Fairy King.

She believed that if he had been by her side, they would have been able to overcome this difficulty.

But Kyung-joon, after receiving the title, left for his own territory without a word to Ezeri.

Therefore, what the virus-cured Ezeri faced was not Kyung-joon’s helping hand, but an insurmountable giant wave in the vast ocean.

‘No… I should be grateful that he solved the mage tower virus. I’m trying to rely on him again without thinking. I’m really hopeless.’

Ezeri realized that she had been relying too much on Kyung-joon, both mentally and practically.

When they researched together and faced the Mutated Minto Morco.

She recalled Kyung-joon’s words, telling her not to give up, that nothing was impossible.

She pulled herself together.

Taking a deep breath in front of the gathered shareholders, she finally opened her mouth.

“Phew…… Then, before we start the shareholders’ meeting, let me present the recovery strategy I’ve prepared for the future.”

She had diligently prepared a way to recover, even in this worst-case scenario.

“Here are the summarized documents. If you look at the first item listed……”

There was nothing special.

It listed obvious things that anyone would nod to.

There were no grand ideas that would completely turn this dire situation around.

It was just about gathering the remaining resources and trying to somehow solve the problem.

“By doing this, we can repay the new loan, proceed with additional R&D projects, and as for new personnel, we can recruit master’s level personnel related to the El Artificial Intelligence Treadmill… (Omitted) From at least five years later, we can also expect an increase in brand value and joint research with government-funded research institutes… (Omitted).”

Nevertheless, she did not hesitate.

Solving what she could do one by one, right now.

Untangling the tangled threads one by one in the most orthodox and honest way, without any grand scheme.

That was all she could do, and……

It was what she had to do.

‘Hoho, there’s a reason he keeps an eye on her.’

She didn’t even notice that she was being highly praised by the top of the Fael Alliance’s business world right next to her.

“Moving on to the next item. This is a virtual scenario related to the Dragonian-Elven Alliance regulatory sandbox based on the previous items, classified into three categories: optimistic, normal, and worst……”

Ezeri continued to speak her mind.

However.

“Stop for a moment, Ezeri Capirus.”

Those who always walk their own path honestly are bound to hit a wall.

“Isn’t it a little late to try to rebound through research projects now? As the saying goes, ‘huand shuval esta solchie, il ne esta plus diempo fermel etabla,’ it’s no longer time to close the stable.”

“I don’t intend to shift the blame to Siam-nim…… but come to think of it, isn’t this something Siam-nim should be responsible for?”

“I dare say so too. If Siam-nim hadn’t arbitrarily released the circuit breaker using the authority of the Magic Tower Master, Arc-en-Ciel wouldn’t have become a piece of toilet paper like this…… Ah, of course, the biggest responsibility lies with Ezeri herself, who, as Merde’s direct subordinate, failed to properly prevent the wrongdoing.”

The shareholders had no interest in Ezeri’s presentation.

They just wanted to shift the blame to someone.

“Now, now, let’s put aside the blame game. Ezeri. The contents you presented are really good. Orthodox, honest, and straightforward. But we’re not saints like that. The important thing is not how to save Arc-en-Ciel, but how to compensate for our shareholders’ losses.”

“That’s right. It’s a waste of time and money to keep holding onto a sinking ship.”

“Changing ships…… That’s a great idea. We should think about raising the stock price first.”

“The first thing that comes to mind is to raise the stock price with some good news and feed it to the ants.”

The shareholders’ thoughts were unanimous.

Just clean up Arc-en-Ciel, sell it, and make up for the losses.

Inflate the stock price, and then dump it on the ants who flock to it.

That was all.

“What kind of good news?”

“Well, Kyung-joon is the hero of Favengarden, who was even awarded the title of hero by Fairy King-nim, right?”

“Oh… That sounds tempting. Come to think of it, Ezeri Capirus here has quite a close relationship with that human, right?”

“Y, Yes…? What are you talking about…”

The shareholders kept talking in circles to Ezeri.

In summary.

Using Ezeri’s connection with Kyung-joon, the so-called hero of Favengarden, in the process of inflating the stock price.

They were talking about inflating the stock price with ‘good news’ that was arbitrarily exaggerated through this.

“T, That’s stock manipulation, isn’t it?! How can you say such a thing―”

Thump!

One of the shareholders standing opposite Ezeri slammed his fist on the table.

Ezeri let out a startled yelp at the unexpected situation.

However, it only provoked a harsher reprimand from the shareholder.

“Hey! You’ve got a big mouth now that you’ve inherited the CMO position!

“Don’t you see that we’re all gathered here and talking our heads off for our own good, to try and save you too?!”

“If you had done your job properly as Merde’s direct subordinate, this wouldn’t have happened! Or are you going to compensate for all of our losses? Don’t even dream of it! Do you have that kind of money or some amazing technology?!”

“We only kept you here because you seemed honest and decent! You should be in jail! And even though we put you in the CMO position, what? Stock manipulation? Say that again!”

Money, power, connections.

She couldn’t compete with them in any way.

Ezeri could only listen to the shareholders’ insults with tears in her eyes.

“Now, now, everyone calm down. Even though she inherited the CMO position, she’s just a young woman who just graduated from magic university. It’s natural that she doesn’t know how the world works.”

Another shareholder pretended to take Ezeri’s side and calmed down the angry shareholders.

It was like a well-rehearsed play.

“Ezeri Capirus. As someone who doesn’t know the world yet, it’s natural that this might look like stock manipulation to you. You’re probably worried about the repercussions of what might be seen as manipulation, right?”

“Y, Yes…”

“But we are investors, and we naturally have to take risks. We are investing in you right now. Kyung-joon, the otherworlder called the hero of Favengarden, recognized by the Fairy King. And you, his friend. Both of you are very talented individuals, so it’s no wonder that Merde of the Adivite family paid 10 billion to recruit you. I’m sure the two of you will be able to overcome this difficulty and make it through. He’s a hero who even performed miracles, so how could he not rebuild a crumbling mage tower? But every great undertaking requires great preparation. Before we carry out this undertaking, we need to secure the funds we need right away. We need to sell something to lay the foundation before we can do anything, right?”

“So, what you’re saying is……”

“That’s right. That’s exactly what you suspect is stock manipulation. But what if it’s not manipulation, but something that will actually happen? Then it wouldn’t be manipulation, would it? Just remember this one thing. All of us shareholders have high expectations for you and Kyung-joon.”

Tap.

A shareholder whose name she didn’t even know placed both hands on Ezeri’s shoulders as if to show his trust.

But it wasn’t trust at all.

It was just a hand to dump all the accumulated responsibility onto the trash can CMO, Ezeri.

Whether Ezeri would be arrested for stock manipulation later or not.

The shareholders were just thinking about dumping the responsibility and running away after selling their stocks.

Of course, the shareholders didn’t say any of this out loud, but…

Ezeri knew that this was all they were thinking about.

“S, Such a thing……!”

Ezeri trembled with anger and frustration, and looked at Siam next to her.

“Hmm~”

However, Siam, the top of the business world, was not taking any action in this situation.

Pour.

Siam was still calmly pouring tea into the teacup in front of her.

But strangely, it didn’t stop at her own teacup.

As if there was someone next to her, she started pouring tea into two extra teacups as well.

And then.

“Be as one with the ordinary.”

She finally opened her mouth, which she had never opened before.

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