Before parting ways, I made one more request.
> "Ryoichi," I said as I rose from the table, "besides vehicles, I need people. The best accountant and personal assistant you can find. And I need them fast."
He blinked, then chuckled.
> "So you want brains to handle your mountain of money, huh? Fine. I'll bring them tomorrow when I come to your mansion for payment."
I nodded.
> "Good. I'll be waiting."
We shook hands, and then went our separate ways.
---
Back at my mansion, I went straight into my inventory space. The endless void stretched before me, and in the center, like a sacred altar, sat the great black pot.
Stacks of cash glittered inside my storage—two hundred and fifty million dollars from the gold deal. I ran my hands over the bundles, crisp and heavy.
> "Let's begin…" I murmured.
I threw all of it into the pot.
The air shimmered. Ripples of strange energy spread across the surface. Then, with a soft thrum, the pile multiplied—tenfold, a hundredfold—until I pulled out 2.5 billion dollars.
I laughed quietly, my pulse racing. But I wasn't done.
Once again, I tossed the money back in. The pot drank it greedily, and moments later, I pulled out 250 billion.
"Again," I whispered.
The third time, the weight of the cash nearly drowned the space in green. Towering stacks, stretching endlessly, shimmering with power.
2.5 trillion dollars.
I stood there for a long while, staring at the ocean of wealth. Not even countries printed this much freely. It was absurd. Unreal. But it was mine.
> "With this… every plan, every preparation… is possible."
Satisfied, I withdrew from the inventory, slept soundly, and awaited the morning.
---
At exactly nine o'clock, Ryoichi's luxury sedan pulled up to the mansion gates. He stepped out, adjusting his suit, flanked by two young women.
The gatekeeper looked surprised, but I had already given instructions. The three of them were let inside.
Ryoichi whistled as he stepped into the mansion's grand hall.
> "Impressive, Kane. This place screams money."
> "Get used to it," I replied calmly. "Come. Let's talk."
He gestured to the women beside him. They were twins—identical in face, though one carried herself with strict, professional posture while the other radiated sharp attentiveness.
> "Allow me to introduce them. This is Aiko, an expert accountant. And her sister, Emi, a top-class executive assistant. I pulled some strings to bring them here. They're the best."
I studied them closely. Both bowed politely, but their eyes revealed calculation—they were here for money, not loyalty. Fair enough.
> "What kind of salary do you expect?" I asked.
They exchanged glances before Aiko answered carefully.
> "One million dollars per month, Mr. Kane."
Ryoichi smirked, watching for my reaction. Clearly, he thought I'd flinch.
But instead, I burst out laughing.
> "One million? That's all? Far too little. I'll give each of you ten million a month."
Both sisters froze. Their composure cracked instantly.
> "T-ten… million? Per month?" Emi stammered.
Ryoichi's jaw dropped. He leaned forward, almost spilling his tea.
> "Kane… are you joking? Ten million each?! Do you have a money tree hidden in your garden?"
I smiled faintly, leaning back like a tycoon.
> "Something like that."
The sisters stared at me as if I were mad, but the sparkle of greed lit up in their eyes. For that price, they'd work themselves to the bone.
Then came the real test.
Kane leaned back with a faint smile.
> "Ten billion for the start of our partnership. Wait here—I'll get it."
Ryoichi raised an eyebrow.
> "Ten… billion? In cash? You're kidding, right?"
Kane didn't answer. Instead, he excused himself and stepped into a side room. The moment the door shut, he slipped into his inventory. Stacks of bills floated like mountains in the endless void. With a thought, he loaded several sleek black briefcases with money—bundled, sealed, and neatly packed.
A few minutes later, he returned, pushing a cart stacked with five heavy briefcases. He set them on the table with a dull thud.
> "There. Ten billion. Count it if you'd like."
Ryoichi's face went pale. He stepped back instinctively.
> "Th-this… this is insane. How do you even carry this much cash around? Do you realize how suspicious this looks? Why not just make a bank transfer?"
I looked him dead in the eyes.
> "Because banks ask questions when billions suddenly appear in someone's account. And I don't feel like answering them."
Silence fell. Even the twins exchanged nervous glances.
I softened my tone slightly, sensing their unease.
> "Don't worry. The money is legal. It simply… comes from sources I can't explain openly. There's nothing dangerous about working for me, I assure you."
Ryoichi shook his head, muttering,
> "You say that, but Kane… no one handles money like this. No one. You're hiding something."
I chuckled.
> "You're not wrong. But you'll find out in due time."
Then Ryoichi straightened, recovering his composure.
> "Whatever the case, I'll take this ten billion and begin sourcing the vehicles. And Kane…" he leaned closer, voice dropping, "if you want, I can help smooth things out. With my connections, I can make this mountain of cash look legitimate. The government won't be sniffing around."
That caught my attention. I grinned.
> "Perfect. I'll have Emi—my new assistant—coordinate with you on that. Consider it your first task."
Emi blinked, startled but quickly bowed.
> "Understood, Mr. Kane."
I rose once more, ignoring the stunned silence still hanging in the air.
> "Wait here again. There's something else I want to settle today."
Before Ryoichi could ask, I stepped into the side room. The instant the door closed, I plunged into my inventory. The endless vault of money stretched like a dream. One after another, I began filling briefcases—ten, twenty, thirty… until fifty solid cases were stacked before me, each groaning with the weight of billions.
When I wheeled them back out, the air in the hall froze.
The twins gasped audibly. Even Ryoichi, who had tried to keep his composure earlier, stumbled to his feet.
> "F-fifty briefcases?! Kane… what the hell—"
I calmly set them down, one after another, until the polished table looked more like a dragon's hoard than a meeting space.
> "Here," I said evenly. "One hundred billion dollars. I want it all deposited into my accounts. Today."
Ryoichi's face went pale, then red, then pale again. He gripped the back of his chair like it was the only thing keeping him upright.
> "One… one hundred… billion?! In cash?! Kane, are you out of your damn mind? Even if I pull every connection I have, laundering and transferring this in a single day… it's—"
I cut him off with a calm but unyielding tone.
> "Can it be done, Ryoichi?"
He swallowed hard, sweat forming on his forehead. His lips trembled before he finally muttered:
> "Y…yes. It can be done. I'll make it happen."
He glanced at the twins, then back at me, his eyes wide with a mix of greed and fear.
> "But Kane… just how much money do you really have?"
I didn't answer. I only smiled faintly, watching him wrestle with the weight of what he had just agreed to.
The sisters looked between us, their hands tightening on their skirts. Emi whispered under her breath, but I heard it anyway:
> "He… he's not a man. He's a monster made of money."
And she wasn't entirely wrong.