episode_0003

The budget planning meeting, which was like a war, decided to allocate 60 percent to magic, 25 percent to martial arts, and 15 percent to administration.

Looking at the results alone, it could be said that an excessive amount of budget was allocated just for a single hair loss treatment, but originally, the magic field basically took over 40 percent, and the administration took around 10 percent. The rest was for the martial arts field.

Moreover, several professors expressed active support for Professor Circe’s research topic.

“Even if our lab’s budget is reduced, I will support Professor Circe.”

“After all, we are scholars and researchers. It would be right to invest more in research for the future of humanity.”

“Professor Circe’s research will be the research that saves the world.”

It goes without saying that the heads of those who stood up from their seats in a state of heightened emotion sparkled.

Even those with thick hair were mostly convinced, except for a few professors. Especially Professor Circe of Life Magic, who had already achieved results, had a chance of actually succeeding in development.

Of course, I wasn’t short of hair at all, so I focused purely on the profitable side.

‘If we really succeed in developing a hair loss treatment, it could significantly delay the Academy’s bankruptcy.’

No, if we don’t underestimate the financial power of the alopecia people, it could become a long-term source of income for the academy.

And to do that, negotiations with Professor Circe were necessary.

‘If I donate research to the church like last time, it’ll all be a waste.’

Honestly, I’m a little annoyed. The money you eat, sleep, and study is all given to you by the academy, right? It’s a kind of investment. Is it a big deal if you try to get some of that back?

It is not yet known whether Professor Circe will succeed in developing a hair loss treatment within the remaining three years.

First of all, before the research began, it was necessary to meet her and have a detailed discussion.

‘Let’s just write up this budget report and then go meet him.’

There is not much left to do. All that is left is to roughly draft a basic plan, prepare a detailed budget allocation, write the minutes of this meeting, prepare an estimate of the impact of the allocation results and the top priority research tasks, submit it to the working department for review, receive a report on the budget allocation within the field, and then write a report on it again, and finally approve the budget and report it to the chairman.

Oh, and in the meantime, I answer questions and objections raised about the budget allocation, prepare additional budget proposals that must be prepared separately according to school regulations, turn away professors who ask for a little more budget, and continuously check and prepare accounting for the academy’s operating expenses, repair costs, personnel expenses, and tuition income and expenditures.

After all this, there’s no way I’m going to go to Professor Circe and make an appointment to have an interview.

Shit, I’ll never see you again.

‘I was so busy last year that I even forgot what I was researching. I have to do something about it this year.’

I heard that the research on improving healing potions took about two years. Even if we look at it optimistically and assume that it takes two years to develop a hair loss medication, money isn’t made just by developing the medication.

You have to build a distribution network through a trading company, get a sales permit for each territory, and since it is basically a medicine, it has to go through inspections by the royal medical department and the church. After that, it will take about a month for sales to start to come in properly.

Of course, three years is not only tight, but almost impossible. But since there is no other way, I just hang on.

I don’t know if I can tell you the inside story, but our financial situation, which is on the verge of bankruptcy, is a secret between the chairman and me.

‘I need people.’

This is what I thought a year ago when I accepted the position of Minister of Finance, and it has not changed since then.

They say I’m the finance director, but I’m the only one in the finance department. Even so, it’s the director of a department, so considering my age and career, it’s an understatement to say that I got promoted overnight. My academy classmates who got hired at the same time were the youngest in other departments, but I’m the only director.

Even though it was to prevent bankruptcy, I was receiving favor from the chairman, so it was natural for any normal Academy employee to look at me with a critical eye.

In my country, if a new employee caught the chairman’s eye and worked with him like a secretary, he would curse him like crazy behind his back if he got the very important position of manager in charge of budget planning and management.

That’s why I had to go in person to make an appointment with Professor Circe. If I were a real manager, I could have just sent my subordinate, but I ended up being left alone.

Even though he is a water muscle, he is in a high position, so he is asking me to order people from other departments? I believe he is not asking sincerely. He already has a lot of meetings with other departments due to budget management, so doing something like that would really ruin his image.

‘… … Honestly, I think it’s already gone too far.’

Even though I heard it by chance, I heard a false rumor that you and the chairman are secret lovers. Don’t you think about the age difference? You’re not lovers, you’re a grandmother and her grandson. Respect your elders.

Anyway, if the bankruptcy issue is resolved, Grandis Academy is a job for life. If it were really on the verge of bankruptcy, I would understand, but I wanted to maintain a good relationship with the employees as much as possible.

‘If there are 3 years left, it’s not close.’

Probably. Anyway, it’s not like it’s going to fail tomorrow.

… … While I was having random thoughts, the necessary report was still being written. If I can’t multitask to this extent, I won’t be able to do this job.

‘Buying new exercise equipment? Just tell them to fix it up and use it. And as for the repairs to the gym… … I’m always leaving it to the craftsman guild, but wouldn’t it be okay to get a regular customer discount this time? Even if I wanted to cut down on labor costs, the chairman would probably refuse.’

At that time, in addition to budgeting, we were constantly handling new equipment purchases, repairs, and other financial-related reports.

dripping.

“Come in… … … Laura?”

“Long time no see, Adam.”

At the sudden knock on the door, important documents that could reveal the Academy’s financial situation were immediately put into the safe.

However, even though I was the only one who opened the door without permission, the staff frowned at me for doing such a thing.

I couldn’t help but tilt my head when I saw the unexpected person.

“It’s been a long time. It’s the first time I’ve seen you since I got a job. It’s been a year, right?”

“Right. You… …look pretty busy?”

“That’s right.”

Laura Edelwein. A classmate of mine in the same academy administration department, who also made it into the top 5 and got a job at Grandis Academy.

He was a very popular person in the administrative field because he was of noble birth, which was quite rare, and he was good-looking and smart.

In particular, since our majors overlapped, we ended up becoming close, but I was keeping my distance from Laura.

If someone saw me, they might say that I’m full because I have a beautiful classmate.

“Laura, how are you doing these days?”

“Honestly, the work doesn’t suit me at all. But what can I do? If I work at the academy for more than 3 years, I get benefits when I go to graduate school.”

“… … Oh, okay.”

“I will definitely become a graduate student.”

This girl is one crazy bitch.

Above all else.

“So, Adam, how about you?”

“What, what are you talking about?”

“Why are you avoiding my gaze? Of course I want you to go to graduate school with me. You’re a capable person, so you’ll be able to get your Ph.D. in no time.”

He said that he recommended that people around him go to graduate school with him.

He’s a really good kid, but it’s really scary how he suddenly started talking about graduate school in his third year.

Although I rejected her outright, I was able to maintain some level of relationship with Laura because we had built up a friendship and memories over the past three years.

In the end, the only people left around Laura that she could call friends were me and a few of my classmates.

Because of this, Laura became that pitiful friend who recommended graduate school to everyone she met.

‘It was okay because we didn’t have any reason to meet after becoming the Minister of Finance.’

I’m sweating profusely as I watch Laura, whose madness hasn’t diminished at all even after a year.

Laura, who had been looking at me for a moment, sighed and crossed her arms. She saw something rippling, but she was more afraid of Laura than anything else, so she still avoided eye contact.

She seemed to be hesitating about something.

“Anyway… … This time, I came here not to ask you as a colleague, but as the Finance Director.”

“Please?”

“Yeah. You’re not offended that a low-level employee dared to ask the manager for something, are you?”

“No way.”

To be honest, I felt bad for avoiding Laura all this time, and Laura was just a good friend who didn’t recommend graduate school to me.

More than anything, I was concerned about my image, so if they had asked me first, I would have no reason to refuse. The only problem was that there were still a lot of documents left.

Laura also looked at the pile of papers on my desk, flinched slightly, and continued speaking in a softer voice.

“The time is… …right?”

“If you please.”

“… … … Yeah.”

By the way, what on earth could Laura ask me to do?

If I remember correctly, Laura was working in the food department, doing paperwork. If it was something minor, she would have told the manager. But if there was a reason to bring it up to me…

“You know that Raven top?”

“Of course. It’s the top that supplies food.”

All student cafeterias and stores within the Academy use ingredients imported through Raven’s upper echelons.

It’s a medium-sized trading company, but I heard that it has a long history and has been trading since before I entered the academy.

“They sent me an official document… … because of the contract renewal this year.”

“That’s something we do every year.”

“That’s true, but… … … .”

“What? Tell me clearly.”

“… … The contract terms have changed this time. There will be no reduction in food prices.”

“Oh, by the way, I think Raven was considering lowering prices last year.”

I remember it because it was reported. I think it was probably a consideration for Grandis Academy, with which we have been doing business for a long time.

Since the amount of food purchased is large enough for students, professors, and staff to eat, even a small price reduction would leave a significant amount of room in the budget.

‘Just report it directly to the manager in charge.’

Could it be that she’s telling me because she doesn’t want to get in trouble with her boss? It wasn’t Laura’s fault. It was Raven’s fault for changing her words, saying she was considerate or something.

The food materials manager is also a flexible person, so he probably wouldn’t have scolded Laura even if she had reported honestly. In the end, Laura also ends up forgetting that she is a freshman in society.

I was the one who was strangely busy with all the paperwork, work, and people for the past year. It would be normal for a normal person to worry like Laura. It would be natural to rely on a friend who is slightly unpleasant and in a high position.

“And there is another changed condition… … .”

“What? If it’s a price increase, I absolutely cannot accept it. Your manager will take care of it.”

“Impression… …is not it.”

“Then?”

“… … Reduce the amount of food supplied by two-thirds.”

for a moment.

What are you saying now?

“So, if I heard correctly.”

“Yeah.”

“The transaction price is the same as last year, but you are going to reduce the amount supplied?”

“… … Yeah.”

“These fucking kids.”

“Hey, Adam?”

“Laura, sorry, but you have to take care of it for a moment. Contact the top of those bastards. Let’s meet and talk.”

“Not the dogs, not the bastards, Raven… … Okay, I understand. Then how long… … ?”

“Today.”

“Huh?”

“Tell them to come and explain right now or I’ll cut off the deal!”

I was still angry that the chairman, who had turned bankruptcy into bankruptcy after 5 years, was sent to an ocean-going fishing boat, so this happened to be a good thing.

Immediately after hearing my request, Laura hurriedly ran to contact me.

I picked out a few pages from the mountain of papers and the folders on the wall and organized them.

In order to properly deal with the top of those bastards, this side also needed information.

Recalling the famous quote from the CEO of a top restaurant in a seaside city: ‘Money is always right.’

I skimmed through the report on the top of the bastards.

[Hey, Finance Minister! Can you hear me? Can you hear me!? It’s too hard here! I’ve been working all night for 5 days and I’m just catching tuna. I really miss you──]

“… … … … .”

… … Wouldn’t it help the finances if I sold this communication tool?