Chapter 299: Investment
"All of it?"
Now Senzaemon was genuinely surprised. His surprise wasn't about the amount Hachiman mentioned – over 100 billion yen was inconsequential for an international giant like Totsuki Corporation. What astonished him was the audacity displayed by Hachiman.
Investing all of his current savings was nothing short of a gamble. If he lost, the consequences would be evident.
It was hard to imagine such boldness coming from a teenager of sixteen or seventeen.
"Haha, good! Young Hachiman truly lives up to my expectations. I appreciate this audacity," Senzaemon laughed heartily.
To this, Hachiman just smiled faintly. "I wonder if you're interested in joining my investment plan."
Senzaemon was indeed interested. If Hachiman was willing to risk his entire savings, it meant he had conducted thorough research, as such a risk wouldn't be taken lightly.
Moreover, considering Hachiman's track record, there hadn't been a single failure.
Genius often brought delightful surprises, didn't it?
"Since Young Hachiman has invited me so generously, I'll join in."
Hearing Senzaemon's agreement, excitement flashed across Hachiman's face. "Great! I wonder how much you plan to invest."
"Like Young Hachiman, let's go with an investment of 16 billion yen."
Senzaemon was also giving face to Hachiman. While this amount might not be significant for a giant like Totsuki, it wasn't a sum to be spent recklessly. Rather than considering it as an investment in Facebook, it was more of an investment in Hachiman himself.
"With over 30 billion yen, roughly over 300 nillion dollars, if all goes well, we can secure around 20% of Facebook's shares," Hachiman pondered, stroking his chin.
"However, for added security, I'd like to borrow a trusted investment advisor from you."
"As you know, at my age, it's challenging to gain people's trust."
In reality, Hachiman was subtly exaggerating, as investing under the name of Totsuki would undoubtedly reduce many complications.
"Haha, fair point," Senzaemon laughed.
"How about this, Soue will be back in a few days. I'll have him accompany you. How does that sound?"
"Mr. Soue?"
Upon hearing the person mentioned by Senzaemon, Hachiman nodded with a smile.
"That's perfectly fine."
Soue Nakiri, dedicated to external contracts and negotiations, was indeed an excellent choice.
"Great, that's settled then. Soue will be back in the first week of summer vacation. I'll have him accompany you at that time," Senzaemon nodded.
Hachiman quickly expressed his gratitude, "Thank you so much."
"Haha, I hope your judgment is correct, Young Hachiman," Senzaemon laughed heartily.
A confident smile appeared on Hachiman's face.
"Don't worry; I won't let you down, Chief Nakiri."
...
Sobu High School.
At the classroom podium, Shizuka, the diligent and adorable class teacher, was explaining some things to pay attention to during the summer break, followed by the start of the new school year's time and requirements. Finally, she mentioned the names of a few students who needed to take makeup exams.
Those whose names were called out naturally emitted wails, as having to attend makeup classes and exams during the summer break was truly miserable.
Hachiman and his friends were, of course, not among those on the makeup exam list.
Hachiman, needless to say, consistently held the top academic position in the class, if not the entire school.
With his maxed-out "Study" module, even if he didn't pay much attention in class, he could still ace exams.
Yui, while appearing as an airhead, maintained average grades in the class.
Yukino, not to mention, was among the top-performing students.
Even after quitting her part-time job, Saki Kawasaki's grades returned to the upper tier of the class.
It's worth mentioning that the few peculiar individuals in the class also had quite good grades.
Vignette didn't need much explanation; despite being a demon, she was more of an angel, diligently taking notes in class and excelling in exams.
As for Gabriel, fallen she may be, but individuals couldn't be compared. Like an angel, despite appearing laid back in class, her intelligent mind allowed her to pass easily with a bit of effort before exams.
The most surprising was Satanichia McDowell Kurumizawa. This goofball usually acted like a fool, occasionally disrupting discipline with strange antics in class. For instance, in a history class, she brought out a biology textbook and asked questions about the male anatomy diagram, embarrassing poor Mafuyu.
Despite such antics, this fool managed to pass exams. This had to be heartbreaking for those students who attended classes regularly but still struggled to pass.
With the dismissal bell ringing, the morning classes came to an end.
Just as Hachiman was about to head for lunch, an unexpected person called out to him.
"Hachiman."
With meticulously styled short purple hair and a school uniform impeccably maintained, it was none other than the little devil Vignette.
Hachiman smiled, "Oh, Vigne. What's up?"
In his original plan, Vignette, along with Gabriel and the others, fell under the category of those requiring special attention, being an angel and a demon.
As planned, everything had gone smoothly. With over half a year of interaction and occasional feeding, Hachiman's relationship with them was quite good.
Especially with Gabriel, Hachiman occasionally lent her money for in-game purchases, and in return, she taught him some techniques involving holy light. The two found themselves in a subtle collaborative state.
As for his relationship with Vignette, they could be considered good friends. However, Hachiman wondered why the girl had called him this time.
"It's like this. During the summer vacation, Gabriel, Satania, and I are planning to go to the seaside. We thought of inviting you as well, as a thank you for your usual care," Vignette's face displayed a faint smile.
Hachiman certainly wouldn't refuse, "The seaside, huh? No problem at all. In fact, my original plan for the summer was to go to the beach too. Why not go together?"
Talking about summer naturally involved the sea. Hachiman intended to follow last year's plan, renting a private beach and inviting the girls to join.
Unexpectedly, Vignette and her friends also planned to go to the seaside. It seemed like a good idea to go together.