Chapter 5
The opposing shareholders were delighted.
For them, this was the perfect outcome.
Because they believed it was impossible.
In their eyes, a young and inexperienced man like Ansh had no chance of restoring the company within six months.
Even for them, it would have been a difficult task.
So they agreed.
Confident.
Certain of their victory.
But what they didn't know…
was that Ansh didn't need anyone's help.
Six months?
To him, that was far too much time.
He was confident that he could stabilize the company within three months.
After all, compared to the complex and highly competitive economic system of Earth, this world's economy was much simpler.
Less developed.
Less refined.
Which made it easier to manipulate… and control.
At first, Ansh lacked time to act.
But now—
thanks to the old man…
he finally had that opportunity.
And from this point onward—
everything became simple.
Thus, despite everything, Ansh held a certain level of respect for the old man.
And more importantly—
he knew he could trust him completely, no matter the situation.
Calming himself, Ansh leaned back slightly and asked,
"Anyway… what brings you here, old man? If I remember correctly, you said you had some work at home."
The old man stroked his beard calmly before replying,
"Indeed, I did have work to attend to. But when I heard that the Chief of Saym Industry had personally come to meet you… I rushed here."
Ansh raised an eyebrow.
"You really get information fast."
The old man gave a small chuckle.
"That's part of my job."
Then, without wasting time, he asked directly,
"So… why did he come here?"
Ansh shrugged casually.
"Sit. I'll tell you."
The old man took a seat.
Ansh then explained everything—from the offer, to the deal, and the purpose behind it.
After listening carefully, the old man fell into deep thought.
A few moments later, he spoke,
"So… you agreed."
Ansh nodded.
"Yes, I did. The benefits were too good to refuse. And honestly, I didn't see any real loss in accepting the deal."
He paused briefly before continuing,
"Besides, even if I wanted to reject it, it wouldn't have been easy. I couldn't just outright refuse a person of his status. That would only bring unnecessary trouble."
The old man nodded slowly.
"You're right. The benefits are indeed tempting…"
His expression then turned serious.
"But have you truly thought this through?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"Even if the gang doesn't target us immediately… they will eventually. And when that happens—are we really capable of standing against them?"
Ansh smiled faintly, completely unfazed.
"You worry too much, old man."
He leaned back confidently.
"I know exactly what I'm doing."
"Even if the gang survives after their leader is crippled, they'll need at least a year to stabilize themselves."
"And that's assuming they survive the internal conflicts, rival attacks, and rebellions."
He continued calmly,
"By then, I'll still have Drake's favor."
"If they dare target us, I'll simply use that favor to strike back."
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"And once they realize we're backed by someone like him… I doubt they'll risk provoking us again."
Hearing this well-thought-out explanation, the old man sighed softly.
Though he didn't fully agree, he couldn't deny that Ansh's reasoning made sense.
Truthfully, he wasn't worried about Ansh losing the fight.
Not at all.
Having personally fought him before, the old man knew very well—
If Ansh went all out, no ordinary wrestler stood a chance against him.
Even in his own eyes…
Ansh was abnormal.
Although every member of the Ashbound family was unusual in some way—
this young man stood above them all.
From the moment he was born, he had been different.
When most babies struggled to even stand, Ansh was already running around the mansion without support.
When other children were just learning to speak, he had already begun reading and writing.
And once he developed an interest in wrestling…
he turned into a complete menace.
In school, it wasn't uncommon for him to beat students older and stronger than himself.
Teachers were often left helpless in dealing with him.
Even in business—
he had proven himself.
Back when the shareholders pressured him, the old man himself believed that stabilizing the company within six months was nearly impossible.
He had even mentally prepared to sell some of his own shares.
But Ansh—
once again—
proved him wrong.
In just over three months, the company had not only stabilized…
it had returned to its former strength.
All of this made one thing clear—
Ansh was far from ordinary.
Seeing the old man lost in thought, Ansh spoke again,
"Instead of worrying about that… we should think about how to use the gold we just received."
The old man looked at him and asked,
"I assume you already have a plan?"
Ansh let out a small laugh.
"Of course I do."
His eyes gleamed with ambition.
"We expand."
"Not just within the city… but beyond it."
"We take the company to a state level."
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"Your father attempted something similar before. But due to a lack of funds, the plan was abandoned."
Ansh nodded.
"I know."
Then he smiled confidently.
"But this time… we have the resources."
Without wasting another moment, Ansh began explaining his ideas in detail—
market expansion, investment strategies, partnerships, and resource allocation.
As the old man listened, he couldn't help but nod in approval.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Perhaps…
this young master would take the Ashbound family to heights even his predecessors couldn't reach.
"Don't worry, young master. Everything will be done as you suggested. I will begin the preparations immediately."
Seeing that everything had been settled, the old man suddenly asked,
"By the way… I don't see the bodyguard I assigned to you."
The smile on Ansh's face froze instantly.
A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
After a few seconds, he forced a reply,
"H-how would I know where he is? I'm not his assistant."
The old man slowly stood up.
"I already met him," he said calmly.
"He told me everything. How you sent him back to the mansion to fetch something… and by the time he returned, you were already gone."
As he said this, his sharp gaze locked onto Ansh.
Ansh immediately looked away.
At that point, there was no point denying it.
He had been caught red-handed.
The old man shook his head and said in a serious tone,
"Since this is the third time you've ditched your bodyguard… I have no choice but to take action."
Ansh frowned.
"What action?"
"From now on, the bodyguard will only take orders from me."
Ansh blinked.
The old man continued,
"He will follow you at all times. And any order you give him must first be confirmed by me. Only if I approve… will he obey."
"WHAT?!" Ansh shot up from his seat.
"I've told you many times—I don't like someone following me around all the time!" he protested.
The old man didn't even flinch.
"I believe you didn't hear me properly, young master."
He paused.
"I wasn't asking."
"I was informing you."
Ansh clicked his tongue in irritation.
"I have a personal life, you know!"
"And I am responsible for your safety," the old man replied calmly.
Seeing the unwavering determination in his eyes, Ansh knew—
there was no winning this argument.
He could only curse him inwardly.
The old man turned and walked away, leaving Ansh sitting there in frustration.
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