Chapter 18

While waiting for a response from the central office and continuing to optimize his magical beasts.

A notification chime rang out.

A new text message had arrived.

• I have a reply regarding the request you submitted earlier. I believe it would be best to go over the specifics in person. I will forward the location details. It would be highly appreciated if you could arrive at the designated hour.

The message had been sent by Yu Jia, the woman he had crossed paths with just the other day.

“Well now, that was fast.”

A smirk played on Baek Jinwoo’s lips.

He had merely thrown out the idea on a whim, fully prepared for nothing to come of it. Were they truly going to purchase those items on his behalf?

It was quite incredible.

A sum of 1.3 billion won was by no means a small amount, yet they were taking such decisive action based on a single piece of intelligence.

What made it even more amusing was that the data regarding the core combat entities of the Day Dungeon was actually considered bottom-tier, basic knowledge to someone like Baek Jinwoo.

“I definitely need to show up for this.”

The meeting was set for 6 o’clock that very evening.

The venue was an establishment named Daesung Palace located in the Gangnam district.

A rapid online search informed him that it was an incredibly high-end Korean multi-course dining venue that featured exclusive private dining chambers.

“…Good grief. Look at these prices.”

He scrolled through the details, noting that the absolute basic course option began at a staggering one million won.

It was the exact kind of place that ordinary citizens like Baek Jinwoo would typically never set foot in throughout their entire existence.

Just how incredible could the cuisine at a place like that actually be?

He swallowed hard, his mouth watering slightly as Baek Jinwoo began scanning the customer feedback.

He fully expected people to be tearing the establishment apart for charging such outrageous prices.

Yet, that wasn’t the case at all.

The reviews were filled with nothing but absolute admiration.

Word was that the culinary creations were crafted by a premier kitchen staff handpicked directly by the Daesung Group itself.

What?

A level of global gastronomy that every human being ought to taste at least once before they die?

“Wow.”

Baek Jinwoo found himself genuinely astonished.

The individuals running the central office were certainly showing a high level of dedication, weren’t they?

Receiving this level of hospitality made him feel inclined to provide even more valuable insights.

To be perfectly honest, he had also prepared himself for the absolute worst-case outcome.

A scenario where they took one look at his desired magical beast acquisition list, cut off communication, and attempted to investigate the matter entirely on their own.

Naturally, they might deduce a few elements through independent study.

However, observing it with one’s own eyes was a completely different matter.

Watching Baek Jinwoo operate in real-time would provide them with the most transparent and flawless data they could ever hope to obtain.

Of course.

Even if they decided to pull a stunt like that, he wouldn’t mind in the slightest.

That particular data?

It was merely the tiniest drop in the bucket.

The central office would simply forfeit his confidence forever, and that would mark the absolute conclusion of their interactions.

If he ever decided to enter a partnership, he could easily team up with a massive conglomerate guild or a similar entity.

“Alright then.”

He wondered what the representatives from the central office would have to say for themselves.

Baek Jinwoo found himself quite eager for the events of the evening.

The hours slipped away.

6 PM arrived.

“Incredible……”

The moment Baek Jinwoo stepped inside Daesung Palace, his internal confidence took a sudden dip.

Stretching out in front of him was an expansive, magnificent lobby that easily rivaled the grand hall of a five-star luxury hotel.

Could an establishment like this truly just be a restaurant?

A single glance was more than enough to confirm that this structure had been erected specifically to cater to the absolute highest tier of upper-class society.

“Good evening, sir. Do you happen to have a booking with us?”

As he walked up to the reception desk, an employee spoke to him in a highly polished and courteous tone.

“Yes, I do.”

“Could you please provide the name under which the booking was made?”

“Yu Jia.”

“…!”

In that precise moment, the expressions of the reception staff completely transformed.

Their previously smooth, relaxed postures instantly snapped into a state of rigid, profound alertness.

What in the world? What was causing them to react this way?

“Would you happen to be Mr. Baek Jinwoo?”

Stepping in front of the initial receptionist, an individual who seemed to hold a significantly elevated rank within the establishment approached to guide him.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Please follow me this way. I will personally conduct you to the private VIP suite.”

Wow, a VIP suite?

There hadn’t been a single mention of that in any of the online reviews he read.

The gentleman escorted him toward a lift positioned deep within the interior of the structure. After riding upward for what felt like a considerable duration, a sharp tone echoed and the metallic panels glided apart.

“Please have a wonderful evening, sir.”

Baek Jinwoo didn’t even fully register the deep, respectful bow the employee offered him.

The very instant the lift doors parted, a sweeping view of Seoul’s evening landscape revealed itself through the massive glass panels in a stunning, grand display.

Incredible.

The exclusive VIP suite of Daesung Palace occupied the highest level of the building, a space accessible solely to those who held direct clearance from the founding lineage of the Daesung Group.

Naturally, Baek Jinwoo had absolutely no means of figuring that out on his own.

Yu Jia was already seated inside, patiently awaiting his arrival.

“Please, come in.”

“Oh, it’s just you by yourself?”

What happened to that guy with the beard?

Did he choose not to show up?

“That is correct. The person who wishes to conduct affairs with you this evening is not the central office. It is me personally.”

“Pardon me? I wasn’t given any prior notice about this arrangement.”

Baek Jinwoo immediately raised his guard.

His instincts sharpened instantly.

That particular woman was clearly far from a simple, low-ranking staff member of the central office.

“Please, sit down. Let me introduce myself properly so we can clear up any potential misunderstandings.”

Yu Jia softened the tense atmosphere by offering a warm, reassuring smile.

Following that, she provided a concise overview of her background.

Her true identity.

The process through which she had formed the Talent Management Team, and the path that had ultimately led her to this current point.

“Wow.”

Baek Jinwoo was completely taken aback.

To put it plainly, he was utterly astonished.

The direct biological granddaughter of the Daesung Group?

Would a regular guy like him ever get an opportunity to cross paths with an individual of that status in his entire lifetime?

No matter how he looked at it, this turned out to be an incredibly massive advantage for him.

The asset that Baek Jinwoo required above all else was powerful leverage and connections.

The type of high-level network where exchanging valuable data would translate into massive financial returns.

And.

There wasn’t a single entity in the entire nation that possessed greater financial power than Daesung.

There were endless resources to profit from here.

Baek Jinwoo and Yu Jia locked eyes.

Did either of them truly comprehend the situation?

They were currently staring at one another while harboring the exact same internal calculations.

“Shall we begin our meal first?”

“That sounds excellent.”

Because of that shared compliance, the stiff environment was finally beginning to grow comfortable.

“To cut straight to the core of the matter, it appears highly improbable that the central office will be able to grant the financial backing you requested. Assemblyman Park Changseok exerted every ounce of his influence to make it happen, but…… there is a significant faction of committee members standing in opposition. Truthfully, even pushing through those low-tier summoning items during our previous encounter required a massive stretch of authority.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Chomp, chomp.

Baek Jinwoo swallowed down a mouthful of food and offered a perfectly calm nod of understanding.

Oh my goodness, this food is absolutely spectacular.

The flavor profiles were completely beyond anything he had ever experienced before, to the point where he could barely focus on the words coming out of her mouth.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter to me. If that is the conclusion the central office has reached, then I accept it.”

The valuable data?

If they had no desire to purchase it, that was perfectly fine.

He was entirely capable of securing funds through his own independent methods.

Baek Jinwoo would continue to develop his power regardless of their help, and the rate at which he gathered high-tier items would only continue to multiply.

It would certainly require a bit of time, but the title of the absolute number one ranker across the globe was already practically guaranteed to be his.

All because he commanded a mythical EX-rank beast.

As long as that entity remained in his possession, he felt completely assured of his ability to surpass even the legendary JinuGod of his past memories.

In all honesty, if he simply focused on developing Stormy in the correct manner, reaching the pinnacle of global power would be an absolute walk in the park.

“At any rate.”

After cleanly clearing his plate of the remaining meat, Baek Jinwoo carefully lowered his dining utensils.

“Why don’t we pivot to the actual intent behind this meeting? I highly doubt that an heir to a massive conglomerate family is funding a meal of this luxury for me without expecting something in return.”

“Ahaha, you catch on quickly.”

Throughout the entire time Baek Jinwoo had been focused on his plate, Yu Jia had been quietly observing the subtle shifts in his gaze.

Her grandfather had passed down a crucial piece of wisdom to her.

When attempting to decipher an individual’s true character, paying attention to their eyes alone will reveal nearly everything you need to know.

The old man’s words were entirely accurate.

His gaze wasn’t clouded or deceptive; it was remarkably bright.

It bore no traces of malice, yet it didn’t display naive righteousness either, radiating an aura of absolute impartiality.

Furthermore, there was that undeniable self-assurance.

Yu Jia found Baek Jinwoo’s total lack of intimidation deeply intriguing.

Who else in the world could sit directly across from her, possessing full knowledge of her background, and consume their food with such absolute ease?

She had participated in numerous upper-class social gatherings and interacted with countless individuals of her own generation.

Nearly every single one of them reacted in an identical manner.

They were either completely intimidated by the sheer prestige of the Daesung name and displayed obvious nervousness, or they desperately attempted to win her favor through incredibly blatant flattery.

It was incredibly refreshing.

This reality made her feel that pitching her hidden strategy to him was entirely worthwhile.

Even if Baek Jinwoo ultimately turned out to be an absolute fraud?

She could easily write off the 1.3 billion won alongside the initial overhead costs of setting up the enterprise without a second thought. An amount of that size wouldn’t even register as a minor inconvenience to Yu Jia.

On the other hand, what if he proved to be the genuine article?

She could potentially reap hundreds of billions, or perhaps even trillions of won in sheer value through their association.

This was a gamble where she faced absolutely zero risk of losing.

“The truth is, I requested your presence here because I wish to present a formal business arrangement.”

With that, she solidified her resolve to lay all her hidden cards out on the table.

The way information is conveyed is a fascinating phenomenon.

The exact same sentence can feel incredibly grating when uttered by one individual, yet it can deeply resonate within the soul when delivered by another.

The terms Yu Jia laid out were remarkably pleasant to absorb.

Her tone of voice remained incredibly gentle, and she articulated every single point in a manner that felt instantly logical and appealing.

Not bad at all.

An exclusive, single-client management contract.

Baek Jinwoo felt entirely pleased with the arrangement she was proposing.

If anything, conducting transactions within the corporate landscape felt significantly more straightforward than dealing with the bureaucratic central office.

Large business enterprises operated solely on the principle of generating revenue.

Striving for the absolute peak of monetary gain while strictly abiding by established regulations was the very definition of commerce, and that aligned flawlessly with what Baek Jinwoo desired.

While quietly taking in her explanation, he had discreetly utilized his mobile device under the table to perform a quick search regarding Yu Jia.

Given her status as a conglomerate heiress, there was bound to be a significant amount of public data available.

[As Expected of Daesung! Granddaughter Yu Jia Completes Stanford MBA Ahead of Schedule — Fully via Personal Excellence!]

[Yu Jia Sets Her Sights on Becoming a Global Executive? “Declares Zero Interest in Family Corporate Succession.”]

[Yu Jia Enters the Player Central Office Boasting the Highest Performance Metrics in History!]

[The Prodigy of the Era, Yu Jia! Yu Byeongcheon Cannot Contain His Joy!]

She’s actually a massive public figure?

This is unbelievable.

Baek Jinwoo was completely stunned on the inside.

Her striking physical appearance, her immense family background, and her sheer personal competence — a flawless triple threat.

Since when did the upper-echelon elites come equipped with this level of perfection?

This was precisely the type of individual who would cause any metaphorical perfect child of a mother’s friend to spiral into absolute despair and envy.

“By the way, when you mention full management services, does that extend to the oversight of financial assets as well?”

“What?”

Yu Jia was caught entirely off guard by the abrupt shift in his inquiry.

Asset management?

Is that truly what occupies his thoughts at a moment like this?

“If you belong to the core Daesung lineage, shouldn’t it be possible for you to acquire premium data from the conglomerate’s investment divisions? A person could multiply their wealth at an astronomical rate using that kind of leverage.”

“Uh……”

Regardless of his combat insights, Baek Jinwoo was fundamentally a prodigy within the realm of Battle of Summoners. When it came to everyday existence, he was merely an ordinary young man in his mid-twenties.

His core motivations were incredibly straightforward: securing wealth and gaining proper operational backing.

Hehe, how amusing.

Fortunately, Yu Jia found even this blunt aspect of his personality rather endearing.

Well.

Her curiosity regarding him had already been fully captured.

When you find yourself genuinely fascinated by someone, even watching them aggressively consume their meal appears quite charming.

“Comprehensive financial management is an absolute certainty, of course. The moment our corporate entity begins delivering full operational backing, high-tier investment opportunities will begin flooding in from every corner. Given that we will be dividing corporate equity, the greater the profits the enterprise secures, the larger the financial payout you will personally receive, Jinwoo.”

“Is that a fact?”

“Without a doubt. The only responsibility you need to worry about, Jinwoo, is putting all your effort into your activities as a active player.”

“Fantastic. I am absolutely on board with this. We may have only crossed paths recently, but you strike me as a thoroughly excellent person, Ms. Yu Jia.”

She possessed enough confidence in him to allocate a sum of 1.3 billion won without a shred of hesitation. If an individual like that didn’t qualify as a thoroughly excellent person, then who did?

Cold hard cash never falsifies reality.

Average individuals often assume that the ultra-wealthy distribute their funds in a reckless manner.

In truth, it is quite the opposite.

The rich are the exact individuals who scrutinize every single penny with the utmost severity and allocate their resources with the highest degree of calculation.

“So, what does the profit distribution look like?”

“I will present the exact breakdowns alongside the official paperwork during our subsequent session. I assure you that you won’t merely find it acceptable — you will be absolutely thrilled.”

“Our subsequent session?”

“Would tomorrow work for you? I can meet you out at that cleared open space.”

“The cleared open space?”

A business meeting at that random plot of land?

“The specific magical beasts you requested. I assume you are quite eager to inspect them, are you not?”

“Hold on, we haven’t even finalized an official contract yet, and you’ve already proceeded with the acquisition?”

“Yes, well. My operational personnel are already executing the transfers as we speak.”

“Think of it simply as a welcoming token. Even if you ultimately determine that you do not wish to sign the contract, those magical beasts will remain entirely yours. A simple token.”

Cough.

Baek Jinwoo nearly choked on his breath.

So this was the sheer scale of conglomerate wealth?

That level of open-handedness was operating on a completely different dimension.

There was absolutely no room left for skepticism.

Yu Jia was an incredibly phenomenal individual.

At the very least, from his perspective, she absolutely was.

The following day.

Baek Jinwoo had made his way down to the empty clearing situated right in front of his childhood home, following his usual routine.

It was a secluded, quiet space nestled neatly between the local wilderness pathways.

Baek Jinwoo frequently referred to this particular open space as the Nest.

Very few individuals were aware that the Nest even existed.

Just Baek Jinwoo himself, the operational staff who had previously served within the central office’s Talent Management Team, and his younger sister, Baek Ajin.

The Nest was actually a location his household had stumbled upon during family strolls when they were much younger.

It served as a true haven for his mental state — a spot where he could come to stretch out his muscles and inhale the crisp outdoor air whenever his mind became cluttered with stress.

What exactly has my older brother been working on these days?

Baek Ajin, who was currently occupied with managing her personal trade company dealing in magical runes, found herself suddenly overcome with a wave of curiosity.

He used to call her constantly to pepper her with endless questions, yet recently, there had been an absolute lack of communication from him.

He had even packed up his belongings from their parents’ house to live entirely on his own.

The entire situation felt rather unusual.

She was well aware that he had formally registered himself as an active player and was generating revenue through that path, but……

Honestly, give me a break.

His own younger sibling was the commander of a solid C-rank magical beast. How had he managed to avoid reaching out to her for assistance even a single time?

She could have easily formed a cooperative group with him and cleared through a couple of dungeon instances if he had simply voiced the desire.

She couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact reason.

She had simply made a sudden decision to bypass her usual resource farming for the day and found herself strolling along the wilderness trail from the early hours of the morning.

She simply wished to traverse the exact path that her family members used to explore alongside one another.

The most pleasant aspect of this particular trail was the absolute tranquility it offered.

It had never managed to attract any major attention through word-of-mouth recommendations.

Step, step.

Ambling along with her physical form completely relaxed.

Hold on.

Her eyes caught sight of an individual that caused her to instantly freeze in surprise.

That is an incredibly stunning woman.

The element that immediately struck her as bizarre was that the woman’s chosen attire was completely unsuited for an outdoor trail.

She wore a full face of immaculate cosmetics, looking precisely as though she were preparing to walk onto a stage for a highly prestigious corporate function.

But what could an individual like that possibly be doing out here?

The local elderly residents would occasionally wander through these paths, but this was far from the sort of environment a person of her caliber would ever willingly frequent……

Furthermore, the trajectory of their paths kept aligning in a highly unusual manner.

Wait a second.

That facial structure, though.

She was absolutely certain she had encountered that exact face at some point in the past.

Baek Ajin, who kept herself highly updated on modern cultural trends, routinely browsed through various online social networks whenever she found a brief moment of downtime.

The primary media she consumed typically revolved around highly attractive women who had managed to achieve viral success through the internet platform’s algorithms.

Perhaps that was the precise reason why the facial features felt so incredibly recognizable.

The physical appearance of an immensely powerful online figure……

Oh my goodness.

In that exact split second, the reality of the situation hit her.

Baek Ajin’s entire frame locked up in absolute bewilderment.

That person is Yu Jia.

The ultimate aspiration of every woman in the country.

The reigning icon of the high-society conglomerate world, and the single individual that the nation’s premier star Jang Ayeong was publicly rumored to share a deep, private companionship with.

There was absolutely no mistaking it; it was definitely Yu Jia.

Why on earth would an elite figure like her be trekking along such a worn-down, ordinary wilderness path?

The woman was moving forward at a notably swift momentum heading up the slope, which prevented Ajin from gathering the nerve to shout out to her. However, an intense curiosity had already completely taken hold of her mind, and Baek Ajin quietly began following along behind her footsteps, putting on a careful front that they merely happened to be traveling toward the exact same destination.