Yoo Jia (2)
While he was maintaining his summoned creatures and waiting for a reply from headquarters—
Ding!
A text message arrived.
— I'm contacting you regarding what you requested last time. Shall we discuss the details in person? I'll send you the address. I'd appreciate it if you could come at the scheduled time.
It was a message from Yoo Jia, whom he had met before.
"Oh ho, already?"
Baek Jinwoo grinned.
He'd only poked her half-expecting nothing. Was she really going to buy it for him?
It was fascinating.
1.3 billion won wasn't exactly pocket change, yet she was moving this decisively over a single piece of information.
To Baek Jinwoo, the information about the weekly dungeon core unit was honestly low-tier intel, which made it even more surprising.
"I'm going. I definitely have to go."
The time was today at 6 p.m.
The location was a place in Gangnam called Daeseong Palace.
When he searched it, he found it was an ultra-luxurious Korean fine-dining restaurant equipped with private rooms.
"…Wow. What are these menu prices?"
He skimmed it roughly, and the basic course menu started at one million won.
It was the kind of place ordinary people like Baek Jinwoo would never visit in their lives.
How good could the food there possibly taste?
Gulp.
Swallowing his saliva, Baek Jinwoo checked the reviews.
'Surely people complained because it's expensive.'
But surprisingly— they were all full of praise.
It said the dishes were premium creations made by an elite kitchen team personally selected by the Daeseong Group.
What?
World-class cuisine you must try at least once in your lifetime?
"Wow."
Baek Jinwoo admired.
Those guys at headquarters. They're putting in some sincerity. At this rate, it makes you want to give them more information.
Honestly, he had even imagined the worst-case scenario.
'They look at the summoner purchase list I gave them, shut their mouths, and use it for research.'
Well, maybe if they researched long enough, they'd figure something out.
But seeing is believing.
Watching Baek Jinwoo play directly would be the cleanest and most reliable source of information for them.
'Of course.'
Even if they did that, he wouldn't care in the slightest.
That information?
It was just the tip of the iceberg.
Headquarters would simply lose trust with him, and their connection would end there.
If he were to make deals, he could just work with a major private guild instead.
"I wonder."
What would headquarters say?
Baek Jinwoo was looking forward to dinner.
* * *
Time passed.
6 p.m.
"Wow…"
When Baek Jinwoo arrived at Daeseong Palace, his confidence shrank instantly.
Before him was a grand hall so open and magnificent it resembled a five-star hotel.
'Is this really a restaurant?'
At first glance, it looked more like a place built to entertain high-ranking officials.
"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"
As he approached the counter, an employee greeted him in a refined voice.
"Yes."
"May I have the name of the reservation?"
"Yoo Jia."
"…!"
In that moment, the employees' expressions changed. Their previously gentle posture became sharp and formal.
What's with them?
"Are you Mr. Baek Jinwoo?"
Not a regular staff member, but a man who looked quite high-ranking came to guide him.
"Yes, that's right."
"This way, please. I will escort you to the VIP room."
Whoa, VIP?
That wasn't mentioned in the reviews.
He was guided to an elevator deeper inside the building. After riding up for quite a while—
Ding!
The doors opened.
"Please enjoy your time."
Baek Jinwoo couldn't even see the employee bowing politely.
The moment the elevator doors opened, the night view of Seoul stretching out beyond the glass windows was so breathtaking.
"Wow…"
The VIP room of Daeseong Palace was located on the top floor and could only be used with the permission of the Daeseong Group family.
Of course, Baek Jinwoo had no way of knowing that.
Yoo Jia was already there.
"Welcome."
"Oh, are you alone?"
Where was the bearded uncle?
Didn't he come?
"Yes. Today, the one who has business with you isn't headquarters. It's me."
"…Excuse me? I wasn't informed of that."
Baek Jinwoo grew wary. At the same time, he became tense.
'That woman.'
She definitely wasn't just an ordinary headquarters employee.
"Ahem, to avoid misunderstandings, I should introduce myself first. Please, have a seat."
With a gentle expression, Yoo Jia eased his tension.
Then she briefly explained—
Who she was.
How the Talent Management Team was established.
And how she came to be involved here.
"Wow."
Baek Jinwoo was shocked. Honestly, it was simply fascinating.
'She's the granddaughter of the Daeseong Group?'
Would he ever have had the chance in his life to meet someone like that in person?
'Either way, it's a huge win for me.'
What Baek Jinwoo needed most was connections. Connections that would generate a lot of money in exchange for information.
And—
There was no place in this country richer than Daeseong.
'There might be quite a bit to squeeze out here.'
Their eyes met.
Did they realize?
That they were looking at each other with exactly the same thoughts.
"Shall we eat first?"
"Sure."
Thanks to that, the atmosphere began to improve.
* * *
"Anyway, in conclusion, it will be difficult to provide the support headquarters was hoping for. Assemblyman Park Changseok tried his best… but there are many opposing lawmakers. Even the low-grade summoning book last time was pulled in with some difficulty."
"I see."
Munch, munch.
While swallowing a bite of food, Baek Jinwoo nodded coolly.
'This is insanely delicious.'
He was tasting something for the first time in his life, and honestly, he barely even heard what she was saying.
"Well, it doesn't matter. If that's the headquarters' decision, then so be it."
Information?
If they didn't want it, fine.
He could gather money himself.
In any case, Baek Jinwoo would continue to grow, and the speed at which he acquired items would only increase.
It might take some time, but the position of world number one was already certain.
'Because I have an EX-grade summon.'
As long as he had that— even if the past God Ji-nu returned, he would be confident.
Honestly, if he just properly raised the Explosive Dragon Sorcerer, being the world's strongest would be laughably easy.
"By the way."
After finishing off a steak in one go, Baek Jinwoo set down his fork.
"Shall we get to the main topic? There's no way a chaebol granddaughter would treat me to something this expensive for no reason."
"Hehe, that's right."
While he ate, Yoo Jia had been watching his eyes the entire time.
Her grandfather had once said—
When observing a person, you can understand a lot just by looking at their eyes.
'It's true.'
They weren't cloudy. They were clear. Neither evil nor good—just emitting a neutral aura.
'And…'
That confidence.
She found his boldness fascinating.
Who else had ever known who she was and still eaten so comfortably in front of her?
She had attended plenty of social gatherings and met many peers.
Most were either intimidated by the Daeseong name or desperately tried to flatter her.
'Refreshing.'
At this level, it was worth testing her plan.
If Baek Jinwoo was a fraud?
Then she would coolly lose 1.3 billion won and the company establishment cost. That amount wasn't even a real loss to her.
But if he was the real deal?
She could extract hundreds of billions—no, trillions—in value from him.
This was a guaranteed profitable deal.
"In fact, I called you here to propose something."
And so she decided to say what was on her mind.
* * *
Words are truly fascinating.
The same content can sound unpleasant from one person, yet convincing from another.
Yoo Jia's words were comfortable.
Her voice was soft, and her explanations were clear and easy to understand.
'This is good.'
One-person management.
Baek Jinwoo was satisfied with her proposal.
In fact, dealing with the business world felt more comfortable than headquarters.
'Companies move solely on money.'
Within legal systems, they pursue maximum profit—that was the essence of business, and it aligned perfectly with what Baek Jinwoo wanted.
'And…'
While listening, he discreetly searched her name on his phone.
Since she was a chaebol granddaughter, there had to be some information.
But—
[As expected of the Daeseong family! Granddaughter Yoo Jia earns her Stanford MBA early—entirely by her own ability!]
[Yoo Jia aiming to become a global CEO? "No interest in management rights."]
[Yoo Jia joins Player Headquarters with top score!]
[The genius of the century, Yoo Jia! Yoo Byeongcheon smiles!]
'She's actually famous?'
Crazy.
Baek Jinwoo clicked his tongue internally.
Beauty, family background, and ability—all in one.
What kind of elite was this?
Even imaginary "perfect daughters" would bow their heads in defeat.
"If it's management, does that include asset management?"
"Excuse me?"
She was slightly startled by the sudden question.
'Asset management?'
Was that really the important part right now?
"If you're from Daeseong, couldn't you access company financial team info or something? You could make a ton of money with that."
"Uh…"
Even if Baek Jinwoo was a genius, he was only a genius inside the Battle of Summoners. In reality, he was just an ordinary man in his mid-twenties.
His interests were simple.
Money.
And support.
'He's cute.'
Thankfully, Yoo Jia found even that endearing. After all, she was already interested.
Even watching him chew his food looked adorable.
"Of course we'll handle asset management. Once the company officially starts supporting you, there will be many investment proposals. Since we'll divide it by equity, the more the company earns, the more you earn."
"Really?"
"Of course. All you have to do is focus on your player activities."
"That sounds good. I'm interested. We haven't known each other for long, but you seem like a very good person, Ms. Yoo Jia."
She was willing to invest 1.3 billion won in him outright.
If that wasn't a good person, what was?
Money doesn't lie.
Just because someone is rich doesn't mean they spend carelessly.
On the contrary, the rich tend to be more frugal.
"Then what will the ratio be?"
"I'll explain the details properly with the contract at our next meeting. You won't be disappointed."
"Next meeting?"
"How about tomorrow? I'll come to that vacant lot."
"The vacant lot?"
Meeting in a vacant lot?
"The summoned creatures you requested. You need to confirm them."
"Wait, you're buying them before we even sign?"
"Yes. Our staff are already purchasing them."
"…What?"
"Let's just call it a gift. Even if you don't sign, the summoned creatures are yours. A gift."
Cough.
Baek Jinwoo nearly choked.
Was this the aura of a chaebol family?
Her scale was enormous.
It was certain. Yoo Jia was a good person. At least to him.
* * *
The next day.
As usual, Baek Jinwoo showed up at the vacant lot in front of his parents' house.
A secluded clearing between hiking trails.
He called this place "Nest". Very few people knew about it.
Baek Jinwoo.
Some former members of headquarters' Talent Management Team. And his younger sister, Baek Ajin.
In fact, his family had known about this place since childhood walks.
Whenever his head hurt, he would come here to stretch and breathe fresh air—a sanctuary of peace.
'What's oppa been up to lately?'
Baek Ajin, who had been running a rune retail business, suddenly grew curious.
He used to call often and ask questions, but now he barely contacted her.
'He even moved out of Mom and Dad's place.'
It was strange.
She knew he was making money after registering as a player. But honestly—she had a C-grade summoner.
How could he not ask her for help even once?
If he wanted, she could party up with him in a few dungeons.
She didn't know why.
She simply decided to skip farming for the day and walk the hiking trail early in the morning.
She wanted to walk the path their family used to frequent.
The good thing about this place was that there weren't many people.
It wasn't a well-known trail.
Step. Step.
As she walked leisurely—
'Wow.'
Her eyes were drawn to someone.
'She's incredibly pretty.'
Strangely, she wasn't dressed for hiking at all. Full makeup, dressed as if she were about to attend an official event.
'What is she doing here?'
Usually only elderly locals came here.
And somehow, their paths overlapped.
'Wait.'
That face.
She had seen it somewhere before.
Baek Ajin, who was sensitive to trends, often browsed social media in her free time.
Pretty influencers frequently filled her algorithm.
That face looked familiar. Like the appearance of a highly influential influencer—
'Huh?!'
In that instant, Baek Ajin froze.
'That's Yoo Jia.'
The dream of all women!
The flower of the chaebol world, said to be the only close friend of the nation's goddess Jang Ayoung!
It was definitely Yoo Jia.
'Why is she on this shabby hiking trail?'
She was walking quite briskly, so Baek Ajin couldn't approach her. But curiosity took over. Pretending they were headed the same way, Baek Ajin began following behind her.
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