City ​​of Witches 810

Chapter 810 – #169_Ideal World (3)

#804

1.
The financial district in southern Manhattan.
Better known to the world as Wall Street, it is home to the tallest and most luxurious buildings.

Despite the growing consensus that hedge funds are the trend, it’s the dream company that anyone in finance would want to work for.
It is the headquarters of ‘Abersupergreen (ESG)’, the investment bank that manages the world’s largest assets.

On the 75th floor, the top floor, is the CEO’s penthouse.

It’s a place where no one is allowed to step foot, except for the chairman, Sharon, and her acquaintances.
Once a year, a visit pass is auctioned off, and those seeking investment know-how pay billions for it.

Sitting in the penthouse office is Sharon Superrich Abergreen, the world’s richest woman.

“Hoo.”

There was not a trace of the impoverished girl who worked part-time at a convenience store and lived in a rooftop room in Sharon, who was dressed in a suit.
Instead, there was a glimpse of the cold-blooded beastliness of a highly polished businesswoman.

Indeed, she had built such a prominent company in less than five years with pure skill alone.

She didn’t hesitate to take drugs to overcome sleep, and sometimes she even devoured her own colleagues for the sake of performance.
The pride of having succeeded in the midst of ruthless beasts who only pursued results had already transformed Sharon into a different being.

“After all, ice cream is Häagen-Dazs.”

Sharon, who was working while looking down at the scenery of Wall Street, picked up an ice cream elegantly.

Sharon had a refrigerator filled with Häagen-Dazs in her office.
Häagen-Dazs, with its refrigerator filled with different flavors, could be said to be a symbol of the wealthy.

“Hmm, delicious, delicious.”

One barilla flavor, one strawberry flavor, in small tubs.
Sharon, who had chosen a total of two at once, ate half of each with a Häagen-Dazs-only spoon.

“Oh, I’m getting tired of it, I ate too much.”

-Thump!

She throws the two half-eaten Häagen-Dazs tubs into the trash without even looking at them.
It was a luxurious extravagance that would have been unimaginable in the past.

“Shall I get back to work?”

Sharon sat back at the table with quad monitors set up for easy viewing of charts.

But as soon as she looked at the monitor, she felt a lump in her throat for some reason.

A feeling that she didn’t understand anything? A feeling that the chart suddenly looked very scary?
A feeling that it was awkward to buy or sell?
Especially as soon as she saw the word DOGE in the corner of the screen, her hands and feet trembled.

“Ugh… huh? What’s wrong with me?”

Sharon clenched and unclenched her fists.

It seemed that today was not her day.
Even geniuses have slumps sometimes, don’t they?

At that moment, the internal phone rang.
It was her personal secretary.

[Chairman, Count Albireo has arrived.]
“Send her up.”
[Yes, Chairman.]

A moment later, Count Albireo, dressed in an elegant jet-black dress, came up to Sharon’s office.

The black bird of the Gemini Counts, known as the twin birds of black and white.
It is a well-known fact that she is a genius in investment and management.

Sharon had also learned about investment theory and management philosophy from her, paying tuition at first.

‘Sharon! Is that all you can do?’
‘Do you really want to make money right now? Do you want to go back to the rooftop room? Pack your bags and leave right now!’
‘You did your best? That’s the nonsense I hate the most. The best that losers who haven’t achieved results talk about is just an excuse!’
‘Repeat! Sharon Abergreen is a piece of trash who can’t even hedge risks!’

It could be said that Albireo’s harsh and ruthless Spartan education made Sharon who she is today.

“It’s been a while, Count.”

However, Sharon greeted her old teacher, Albireo, while still sitting.
Albireo also just smiled with her hands politely folded, as if it was natural.

“Sharon. How have you been?”
“Albireo, how have you been? Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“That’s good. Let’s talk while we eat.”

When Sharon pressed a button on the table, employees soon rushed out and set the table.

A French chef with a long chef’s hat and a bushy beard explains today’s course.
He was a chef who owned four Michelin 3-star restaurants, but Sharon hired him as her personal chef for a huge sum of money.

“Today’s dishes are chilled lobster squash stew and lightly frozen hairy crab sashimi.
King crab ceviche with herb oil and edible sprouts.
Coconut crab claw grilled with bisque sauce made from coconut crab innards.
King crab basil pesto pasta with Hokkaido sea urchin roe.
An omelet made with crayfish meat and fresh cream.
For dessert, coffee and fruit are prepared.”

“I like today’s course too. Please serve it in order.”

Albireo’s expression became subtle as she listened to the course composition.

“Sharon, you’ve always liked crustaceans.”
“Yes, yes, because crab is generally very delicious.”
“Oh ho ho ho, Sharon, you’re so witty.”

Albireo giggled at Sharon’s unfunny joke.
It was a moment when she could feel the taste of power in a small way.

“Thank you so much.”

Albireo, who was drinking the wine that came out as an aperitif, suddenly bowed her head.

“Thanks to Sharon’s help, I was able to defend the merger. Now, I’m going through the acquisition process in reverse.”
“Is that so? That’s good. Well, witches have to help each other.”

Recently, there was an attempt by competitor A to acquire the company of the Gemini family, which was in financial trouble.
Sharon gladly helped Albireo’s request for help.

First, she launched a reverse tender offer against company A, which was trying to attempt a hostile M&A, and at the same time, she moved to seize the golden shares.
The extreme counterattack strategy called Pac-Man was easily successful with Sharon’s enormous financial support.

“…….”

Not many people would be happy to accept a student surpassing their teacher.
Especially if that student is a competitor in the same industry.

Therefore, Albireo had become awkward after Sharon’s great success, but now she was completely humble.
It was also a tacit sign that she would acknowledge Sharon’s ability.

“Sharon. There’s something I want to tell you.”
“Yes?”
“I apologize for the rudeness I showed you in the past. Can I receive your guidance in the future? I’ve been running a company for a long time, but I feel like I’ve finally found a spiritual pillar that I can fully trust and follow.”

Sharon felt proud.
Feeling good, Sharon decided to cleanly forget the bitter whippings of the past.

“Hey, how can that be? Let’s work together in the future!”
“Sharon…!”
“I’ve prepared a gift for you to take back, so please give it to your twins.”
“How can you be so kind and considerate…!”

Sharon, who sent Albireo back, who was moved by her generous appearance, went back to watching the Wall Street view.
She wondered if it was okay for a chairman to be so idle, but she decided not to worry about it too much.

Instead, she was absorbed in a thought she had always wanted to try.

“What is life…?”

The words of the rich that having a lot of money doesn’t make life happy.
Every time she heard those words, Sharon wanted to shout, ‘Shut up, you bullshitters!’
But now that she had become rich, she was pondering the fact that the happiness of life was not just about material things.

Is this the taste of success?

-Ting-a-ling!

The phone rang again.
This time it was Sharon’s personal cell phone.

The caller was her love.
It was her boyfriend who had been by her side with a consistent attitude since Sharon’s difficult past.
Isn’t this true love?

In fact, she had been waiting for him to contact her.

“Yeah, Siwoo, why?”

First, she answers the phone as if she doesn’t know anything.

[Sharon, what is this?]
“Huh?”
[I came home and there’s a new car in the garage…?]
“Oh, I forgot. It’s a gift, I put the car keys in the drawer in the study.”

Today is the 8th anniversary of the day she first met Siwoo.
Therefore, Sharon prepared a surprise gift for Siwoo.

Its name is the very long Bugatti La Abergreen Noire.

The price is even longer.
It’s 27,000,000,000 won including taxes.

A one-of-a-kind hypercar custom-made by the client Sharon as a gift for her boyfriend.

Sharon doesn’t really know the details, but it’s designed to boast a comfort comparable to a bed when the backrest is reclined for a comfortable car experience.

[…….]
“Siwoo, are you crying?”

Siwoo used to drive the Bugatti Chiron he received from the witch Periwinkle whenever he had the chance.
She also remembers how he was secretly upset when he totaled it by hitting Della with the car.

So, it became Sharon’s small pleasure to create a garage just for Siwoo and fill it with sports cars.

[Thank you every time, I’m so grateful… I don’t know if I deserve to receive something like this.]

Her cute and precious boyfriend, who is always flustered and burdened by Sharon’s gifts, instead of taking them for granted.
The answer she had for him was enough with three syllables.

“Yeah. You do. Because it’s you.”

2.
Rinne, wearing a gorgeous yukata and geta, sat on the veranda of Hyangwolru, looking at the evening moon.
Beyond the low wall, the joyful excitement that would make one forget the summer heat could be heard.

Today is the day of the Matsuri at the Toho Shrine in the back mountain.
Although the sun has not completely set yet, it seems that many people are already heading to the shrine.

Rinne is not very familiar with festivals.
That’s why she was filled with anticipation for this Matsuri.
Just sitting still made her heart pound.

-Rustle

Rinne immediately noticed the presence behind her, but she couldn’t turn around right away.
She wasn’t sure if the hair ornaments she had carefully decorated were messed up, or if there was anything that looked bad.

“Rinne. Shall we go?”

A sturdy palm gently stroked Rinne’s back.
Only then did Rinne carefully turn her head and look up.

“Yes, Papa.”

There was the man Rinne wanted to look the prettiest for more than anyone else.
It was Shin Siwoo.