---
9:12 a.m. – Restaurant Front Entrance
Business was booming.
Ever since the Ghost Investor story went viral, customers were flooding the restaurant like it served golden pork belly infused with divine blessings. Influencers posed beside the now legendary bidet. A monk asked to "pray over the holy toilet."
Inside, it was chaos.
Manager Park was sweating so much, he looked like he'd just run a marathon inside a sauna.
"WE NEED A BIGGER KITCHEN!" he shouted over the sizzling of twenty pans.
Someone dropped a rice pot. A tourist slipped on kimchi. A child tried to take a selfie with the meat.
Dae-Hyun, trying to sneak in unnoticed, accidentally knocked over a box of lettuce.
Manager Park grabbed him by the shoulders.
"DAE-HYUN! You're young and flexible! Go upstairs and talk to the landlord!"
"Huh?!"
"We need the second and third floor! There's an office up there that no one uses anymore! Please! I can't cook meat in the bathroom forever!!"
---
10:30 a.m. – Upstairs Landlord's Office
The landlord was… unpleasant.
A man in his 60s with a permanent frown and a neck pillow shaped like a pig.
"You want to expand?" he snorted, sipping instant coffee. "That space is mine. I rent it. You people are already lucky to be downstairs."
"But business is booming! We're packed!" Dae-Hyun pleaded. "We just need the floor above—just one!"
"Pay double rent."
"…What?!"
"Triple if you keep annoying me."
Dae-Hyun clenched his fists.
> [System Notification: "Would you like to buy the building?"]
[Estimated Market Value: ₩2.8 billion]
[Funds Available: Sufficient]
[Purchase Anonymously?]
He blinked.
"Wait. Hold on. That's a lot of ze—"
> [Are you sure? Y/N]
He hesitated for 0.5 seconds.
Then said:
"…Y."
---
Two Hours Later – Back at the Restaurant
An envelope was delivered.
Manager Park opened it.
Inside was a legal notice.
A single sheet of paper.
> "Notice: Ownership of this building has been transferred. New owner: 'K-Vision Holdings' (an anonymous investment group)."
"…K-Vision Holdings?" he mumbled. "Who…?"
Then another paper:
> "New Lease Agreement:
Monthly rent: ₩0
Conditions: Keep making good food. And clean the bathroom."
Manager Park fainted.
---
Meanwhile – Dae-Hyun's Room
He lay on the floor, surrounded by snacks, hands over his face.
"I DIDN'T MEAN TO BUY THE WHOLE BUILDING!!"
The system dinged.
> [Congrats on your first real estate acquisition!]
[Passive income from building rentals: ₩2.2 million per month.]
"Wait, what?! I'm making money while giving free rent?!"
> [Also, the landlord is very angry and threw his neck pillow out the window.]
He snorted.
"Serves him right."
Then he checked the system again.
> [Next Suggestion: Buy the building next door? Turn it into a dessert cafe?]
"…No. No, no, no. I will NOT become a real estate tycoon who owns half the street by accident."
> [Suggestion Saved.]
---
That Evening – Restaurant Rooftop
Min-Ji stood beside Dae-Hyun, looking at the packed street below. Flashing cameras. Food bloggers. One guy dressed as a toilet holding a "Thank You, Ghost Investor" sign.
She took a deep breath.
"This whole thing is insane."
"Yeah…" Dae-Hyun mumbled.
"Ghost Investor's a legend now. People think he's starting a restaurant empire. Like a food-themed Batman."
Dae-Hyun's eyes twitched. "Batman?"
She turned to him.
"You know… sometimes I feel like it's you."
"W-Why would you say that?!"
She squinted.
"Just a vibe."
> [Warning: Suspicion Level: 39% – High Risk of Discovery]
Dae-Hyun tried to laugh casually. It came out like a dying seal.
"…I'm just a humble lettuce cutter."
She smirked, unconvinced.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Anyway, I'm glad whoever's doing it… is helping people."
He relaxed.
"…Me too."
---
End of Chapter 7