Parallel Vol. 4 [LEGACY EDITION]

Chapter 93.2: Convincing General Adachi (2)

"L.N.E, or as is more commonly called, Line, is in a unique opportunity for maximum profits from investments." Ayumi gathered her wits. Everything rested on her presentation. She could not afford to fail here. "This is as a result of the currency conversion from Syros – the game's currency – to real-world currency."

General Adachi's brows furrowed. "This conversion. Tell me how it works. If the company can add Syros for cash, wouldn't the economy crumble?"

Ayumi shook her head. "It does not work that way. Only Syros turned in by players can be traded. Genaco collects a commission from the deals processed. This way, there is little risk of artificial inflation when a few parties buy up millions of Syros and flood the market with this new wealth."

"Oh? It's more stable than I thought." General Adachi looked at the hologram. "So, if the economy is stable, there should be a standard transfer rate, right?"

"Not quite," corrected Ayumi. "The worth of Syros to the real world is dependent on how much the majority of gamers earn in-world. For example, at level 1, a gamer might have monthly earnings of about 1,000 Syros a month after repairs, equipment upgrades, potions, and general upkeep. However, by level 100, they would most likely be earning around 5,000 – 10,000. The skilled players who hunt the highest level monsters can earn up to 50,000 Syros a month. Currently, the bulk of casual players are around level 100 to level 150. The average income is 70,000 Syros a month."

Ayumi took a breath. This was the problem with MMO economies and why it was so easy for them to get thrown out of whack. One day, 1 gold could bag you 1$, but the next, you'd need 100 gold to get that same 1$.

"As players begin to earn more, the value of Syros decreases." Ayumi sighed, and then said, "This is an unfortunate reality that no one can change. A level cap helps to stabilize the economy, but we are yet to reach this game's level cap, so we are unsure of what the eventual standard rate will be."

General Adachi frowned. "You want to invest a huge sum in such an unstable economy? By your admission, the value of Syros would drop the day after your purchase."

"In a normal MMO, this would be stupid." Ayumi looked at the bank and then said, "But, L.N.E is different. Only the players' Syros are processed. This means that at all times, there is a finite amount of tradeable Syros. That gives us a unique opportunity." The young woman's gaze turned vicious. "What do you suppose would happen if one company had complete control over the bulk of this finite resource?"

"You would have a monopoly on the resource to be exchanged." General Adachi's expression grew grave. "You could very well dictate the prices at which the Syros are sold."

"Two." Ayumi raised her fingers. "We have two cycles we must take advantage of. The first rush exchange of Syros to Yen, and the proceeding rush exchange of Yen back to Syros. We must seize these for ourselves."

General Adachi interlocked his fingers and then fixed the young woman with a hard stare. "Why are there two cycles. The people buying the Syros will all be in the first rush, no?"

"We are the ones creating two cycles."

"Oh?"

"If we buy up all the Syros on the market, then those searching for Syros would have no choice but to form a second cycle to purchase from us." Ayumi tapped her finger on the hologram, which then switched to a chart. "We will change the flow of demand. Our bulk purchase will convince people to quickly sell off their Syros, instead of waiting for a prospective buyer. Then, we will sell back at an increased price."

General Adachi's eyes furrowed in doubt. "You are certain people will buy? Won't they rather wait for the prices to drop?"

Ayumi shook her head. "No. My only fear is that we won't have enough Syros to meet the resulting demand. You see, in MMOs, people are willing to spend upwards of hundreds of thousands of yen to skip the grind. Some casuals just want some Syros to buy some gear they like without having to fight scary monsters. But, most importantly, companies exist."