Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Goni
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Kim Jin-seong slowly sipped his coffee and asked Goni,
"Goni, looking at your code, don't you get any pressure from Seung-woo for working like this?"
Goni waved it off with a laugh.
"Seung-woo? He's my high school classmate, so he can't say shit to me. Besides, I've never been the type to work hard anyway."
There was a subtle undertone in Goni's voice, quietly looking down on Seung-woo.
That was when Jin-seong finally understood why Goni never got flak from Seung-woo, even when his code barely ran.
The two grew closer like that, but Jin-seong had no idea yet.
Just how big an opportunity this meeting would bring him.
As the appointed time approached, Jin-seong and Goni hopped into Jin-seong's car together and arrived at a fancy hanwoo beef restaurant near Deul-an-gil.
It was the place Seung-woo had booked for the whole group's dinner.
There were already over 30 people gathered today. Traffic was backed up, so Jin-seong and Goni arrived a bit late.
When they entered the reserved room, most of the master agents were already seated.
They all looked young—none of them had the vibe of someone who'd do illegal shit like this.
Considering Seung-woo, Goni, and Jin-seong were the oldest there, you could tell just how young these master agents really were.
The master agents greeted Jin-seong and Goni naturally as they walked in.
Goni, having seen them several times before, just raised a hand casually in response. They seemed intrigued by Jin-seong, figuring he must be "Hani" since it was his first time.
Seung-woo spotted Goni and Jin-seong and greeted them casually.
"You guys made it? You're late today."
Goni grinned at Seung-woo.
"Yeah, Seung-woo. You're dropping a ton of cash tonight, huh?"
Seung-woo laughed and gestured for them to sit.
"Yeah, eat up big time today."
Yeop-rak and Ant were sitting next to Seung-woo.
They were the younger guys who'd been with him from the start when he first set up his master agent line—people he really cherished and trusted.
Yeop-rak in particular was like Seung-woo's right-hand man.
Yeop-rak spotted Jin-seong and beamed.
"Hyung, you made it? Come over here."
Jin-seong naturally took the seat next to Yeop-rak.
Yeop-rak teased him playfully, looking a bit sulky.
"Hyung, you haven't been coming to the office much lately. I'm feeling neglected~."
Jin-seong smiled apologetically.
"Ah, it's just easier to focus when I'm working from home.
I'm thinking of renting a two-room place soon to set up my own office."
Yeop-rak nodded.
"Makes sense. Honestly, working solo in an office is the best.
You're not the lazy type anyway. The office setup is just 'cause of those kids who slack off if they're alone."
As they chatted, meat started hitting the table one by one.
The marbling looked unreal.
Yeop-rak and Ant naturally took over grilling, and Jin-seong relaxed, chatting with Seung-woo and Goni while eating.
Seung-woo said to Jin-seong,
"Hani, your inflow rates and deposits have been killer lately. Even HQ's been noticing. They say you're doing amazing work. Told me the site boss himself said there's hardly anyone who can code and ramp up traffic this fast."
Jin-seong played it humble.
"Just putting in the effort, that's all."
Goni, who'd been listening, asked Jin-seong in amazement.
"Dude, how much traffic are you pulling exactly?"
Jin-seong replied casually.
"It's been a little over two months, and I've got nearly 100 members now."
Goni's eyes widened.
"Already? That's insanely fast. Got some secret sauce?"
Jin-seong hid his real thoughts and stayed modest.
"Just followed what Yeop-rak taught me. Got lucky, I guess."
Yeop-rak, overhearing, puffed up proudly and joked,
"See? It's all about having the right teacher. Finally, Hani hyung appreciates my value."
Everyone burst out laughing and enjoyed the meal.
Feeling good, Seung-woo stood up and boomed,
"Alright, listen up, everyone! Our line's killing it lately. Let's keep pushing hard and all get rich together~!
Eat hearty, but order more rice instead of piling on the meat!"
His goofy joke had everyone cracking up.
And that wrapped up Jin-seong's first group dinner.
Seung-woo's bill came to over 3 million won.
After dinner, Seung-woo asked Jin-seong and Goni,
"You guys heading to round two?"
Goni spoke first.
"Yeah, Hani and I are gonna grab another drink."
Seung-woo chuckled at that.
"Just you two? I've got other plans already. Have fun on your own."
Saying so, he pulled 300,000 won in cash from his wallet and handed it to Goni.
"Take this and keep drinking. Let's hustle hard again starting tomorrow."
Seung-woo headed off toward Yeop-rak and Ant.
Jin-seong and Goni got up and made their way to the next spot.
The drinks with Goni were pretty fun.
Goni had a real knack for witty banter right from their first meeting.
They headed to a room-based bar, perfect for quiet chats.
For casual business talk, a private room beat open spots hands down.
As they drank and swapped stories, Goni suddenly said to Jin-seong,
"Truth is, the master agents are a bit intimidated by me.
Guess I've shown them my bad drunk side a couple times?"
He chuckled lowly and added,
"But don't you feel it just looking at them?"
Jin-seong asked curiously,
"Feel what?"
Goni laughed.
"You can tell they're total losers, right?
They couldn't hack it anywhere else, but now that they're making bank as master agents, they're strutting around like big shots."
Jin-seong thought the phrasing was a bit harsh deep down, but he played along lightly to keep the vibe.
"Yeah, they do seem pretty soft."
Jin-seong wasn't big on gossip usually, but Goni seemed to know a ton, so he wanted to pry for more info.
Goni naturally brought up his little brother.
He bragged proudly about "Jordan."
"My little bro Jordan's sharp as hell. He rents a two-room place as his office. Always ready to ditch it with just his laptop and bounce somewhere else. Smart kid, right?"
Goni looked every bit the proud big brother.
Jin-seong smiled inwardly and replied,
"You really love your brother, huh."
Then a question popped into Jin-seong's head.
"So where do you work? No separate office? Just from home?"
Goni shrugged nonchalantly.
"I just grab my laptop and work from a quiet corner café."
Jin-seong was surprised and probed,
"Isn't that risky? In a crowded place?"
Goni brushed it off.
"Nah, it's fine~. Plus, I've got this countryside house in Sangju, right by Daegu. I work solo there a lot too."
Jin-seong's curiosity piqued.
"Countryside house? In Sangju?"
Goni grinned.
"Yeah, total village shack—no bathroom even. Grandma left it to me."
Jin-seong burst out laughing in disbelief.
"No bathroom? How the hell do you live there? You're bullshitting."
Goni laughed seriously.
"For real! There's a little train station three minutes walk away—I use their bathroom to take a shit. Come visit sometime; I'm not kidding."
Jin-seong nodded, still chuckling.
"Alright, I've got time now, so I'll swing by soon."
They kept drinking comfortably till dawn, closing the gap between them.
Eventually, after such a late night, they naturally grabbed a room at a nearby motel and crashed together.
The next morning, Jin-seong and Goni woke up in the motel, heads pounding and stomachs churning from the night before, grimacing in misery.
They took turns showering, got dressed, and checked out.
"Ugh, why's my stomach this fucked? I'm dying…."
Goni grumbled first, and Jin-seong nodded.
"Mine's churning too. Let's grab some hangover soup."
They hit a nearby spot, slurping hot broth to settle their guts and finally come around.
Once somewhat recovered, Jin-seong dropped Goni off at the terminal, and they parted with a wave.
"Take care, see you next time."
Goni flashed a light smile and boarded the bus.
Back home, Jin-seong buzzed with excitement—settlements looked solid this week too.
Then his main phone pinged with a KakaoTalk from Goni.
I made it to Sangju safe lol. You're the only peer besides Seung-woo, but he never hangs out, so let's get tight and crush it from now on~
Jin-seong smiled and replied.
Sounds good. Feels great having a solid friend. Let's hang often.
They'd already swapped numbers the night before and even learned each other's real names.
Goni's real name was Gyu-tae, and surprisingly, they clicked well.
Just like that, Jin-seong and Goni became the closest friends—and reliable allies—in the Bayern master agent line.