Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Conflict
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Jin-seong felt a weight lift from his heart as things progressed quickly.
He headed early in the morning to the electronics section of the Daegu Comprehensive Distribution Complex, where he'd already scouted out some used computers and monitors to buy.
He put together four sets, each with a main unit and monitor totaling around 500,000 won, and prepared one extra set just in case.
After chatting briefly with the store clerk and inspecting everything carefully, he had all the gear ready, including keyboards, mice, and headsets.
He quickly paid with his card, then carefully loaded the computers and peripherals into his car with the clerk's help.
Next, he hopped onto Coupang and ordered four sets of office computer desks and gaming chairs.
He also placed orders for basic living essentials he'd need at the office—pots, frying pans, plates, cups, and the like.
These little items added up fast, pushing the total over 4 million won already.
"Setting up an office really costs a fortune."
Jin-seong bit his lip lightly as he reviewed the expenses.
He'd already sunk nearly 10 million won into outfitting the office, but he saw it as an investment.
Since he planned to earn even more going forward, it didn't feel like too much of a waste.
He still had about 40 million won left in his account for living expenses and spare cash.
Just then, he got a call from the real estate lady.
The cleaning for the office move was all done.
Jin-seong rushed over in his car to the newly contracted two-room office. As he opened the front door, a fresh, spotlessly clean space greeted him.
"Whoa, they did a great job cleaning it up."
Grinning happily, Jin-seong carefully carried in the computer main units, monitors, and other gear from the car one by one, setting them down inside.
He'd have to wait a bit for the desks and chairs to arrive, but seeing the equipment coming together piece by piece made him feel secure.
"This is really shaping up to be a proper office now."
Gazing at the empty space, Jin-seong pictured how it would look once everything was set up.
With desks and computers in place, Goni and Dong-hoon working alongside him—his heart raced just thinking about it.
Jin-seong plopped down comfortably on the office floor, caught his breath, and waited for the Coupang delivery.
Once the office setup was complete, he could finally launch his own business in earnest. The thought thrilled him.
Two days later, Jin-seong picked up Goni and Dong-hoon and headed to the new office.
Goni and Dong-hoon followed him inside with their suitcases and small bags, faces lit up with excitement.
As Jin-seong opened the door, the neatly arranged office came into view.
"Whoa, hyungnim, did you set all this up by yourself?"
Dong-hoon exclaimed in awe, and Goni looked around with a stunned expression too.
The main room of the office was a long rectangular layout.
The spot closest to the entrance was Jin-seong's seat, with Goni's right next to it.
Two more seats ran along the opposite wall: Dong-hoon's beside Goni's, and the last one left empty as a spare.
Every desk had a main unit, monitor, keyboard, and mouse neatly laid out.
Goni tapped Jin-seong on the back and said,
"Dude, you set all this up alone? You should've said something earlier—we could've come help!"
Dong-hoon scratched his head sheepishly, adding apologetically,
"Hyungnim, you could've waited for us. No need to go through all that trouble by yourself... You really worked hard."
Jin-seong smiled faintly and replied,
"It's fine. This much, I had to handle. You guys just focus on working hard from here on out."
The three of them exchanged glances and broke into bright smiles.
The days of struggling separately were finally over. The office buzzed with anticipation for working together in earnest.
"Let's do this for real now. I've laid the groundwork hard."
Goni and Dong-hoon nodded vigorously at Jin-seong's words. They settled into their seats, powered up the computers, and dove into work with high hopes for their new life and success ahead.
Jin-seong immediately posted in the Telegram Master Agent chat room:
『Everyone, me, Goni, and Jeong-bae—we've opened up an office together like this. Planning to move forward as a team now~ Please take good care of us.』
Congratulatory messages flooded in right away.
『Hani hyung, you finally opened the office? Congrats!!』
But Seung-woo was confused.
The office structure he knew for Master Agents centered around a manager who oversaw sub-agents and split profits.
Hani's shared office wasn't like that—it was just personal Master Agents splitting living costs and working together simply.
'Why set up an office like that when there's no real gain for Hani?'
Seung-woo pondered for a moment but played it cool in Telegram:
『If it's with like-minded guys, that's cool~ Let's all hustle and get rich lol』
Jin-seong gathered the office crew to set their living schedule.
"Guys, let's split shifts from now on. I'll clock into Naland at 6:30 a.m. That way, I can have the chat rooms to myself in the morning—should work great."
Jeong-bae (Dong-hoon) raised his hand and said,
"Hyung, then I'll take nights into dawn. I use a lot of sports picks anyway, so that timing's perfect for me."
Jin-seong nodded and turned to Goni.
"Goni, you?"
Goni grinned sheepishly and replied,
"I'll... just hustle whenever I wake up."
Jin-seong and Dong-hoon chuckled in unison. Goni's free spirit was par for the course—no big expectations there.
But just having him around felt reassuring.
And so, the office members' work hours were set:
Hani: Mornings from 6:30 a.m. to afternoon, exclusive morning Naland picks
Jeong-bae: Nights to dawn, mainly sports picks and nighttime picks
Goni: Free schedule, flexible based on situation
They booted up their computers and started work with serious expressions, adapting to the new routine. This was the true beginning.
Two months passed since opening the office.
Jin-seong still showed up without fail every day at 6:30 a.m. on Naland.
He steadily ran picks and tended to members, but things weren't going as hoped.
Membership had exploded at first, nearing 200, but many had lost all their money and dropped off the site.
Jin-seong had a few high-rollers come in and wipe out big, leaving him in the red for the whole month.
The settlement page always showed glaring red minus numbers.
Even so, Jin-seong never gave up, working like mad to bring in more members.
Goni and Jeong-bae did their best too.
Goni tried for a more regular schedule, and Dong-hoon hustled through the night and dawn with sports picks.
But their codes weren't lucky either.
Too many one-timers deposited once and never returned. Steady users would pop up, only to get blacklisted by the site and have their accounts suspended soon after.
The office's overall situation turned dire.
Jin-seong's code, which had been settling 500,000 won weekly with cash to spare two months ago, had barely any income over that span.
On top of that, as the one who'd opened the office, Jin-seong felt responsible.
Dong-hoon and Goni were running low on living expenses, worrying about even meals.
In the end, Jin-seong started covering all office running costs, living expenses, and food out of the nearly 40 million won he'd saved before.
On stressful days, the three would drink together, and outings cost triple what they did solo.
Dong-hoon would say now and then,
"Hyung, aren't you spending too much because of us? I'm really sorry."
But Jin-seong always smiled and replied,
"Hey, we're in this together. Can't have you starving while I make you work.
The tougher it gets, the more we stick it out as a team."
He acted fine on the outside, but inside, he was burning up.
Seeing his balance dwindle day by day made him anxious, but he never let it show in front of the others.
If anything, he amped up the cheer to boost Goni and Dong-hoon's morale.
Today too, Jin-seong gritted his teeth at his computer, determined to recruit even one more member.
Clinging to the hope that good days would return, he hammered away at the keyboard without stopping.
After deep deliberation, Jin-seong called Seung-woo directly.
"Seung-woo, honestly, I don't get it. Other offices get rent support, computers provided, and tons of attention from you. Why no support for us?
Think about how much I've made so far—are you just planning to keep gouging me at 30%?"
Jin-seong's voice dripped with frustration and irritation. Seung-woo hesitated before answering,
"No, Hani... Your code's in a pretty deep minus right now.
Once that's cleared, I'll bump it up for sure. Just hold on a bit longer."
Jin-seong's anger boiled over at that.
This was blatant discrimination.
Other Master Agents got instant support even for small minuses, with commissions already set high.
Jin-seong figured he'd earned the right to demand more, given what he'd brought in.
He had no more attachment to this line. Back at the office, he gathered Goni and Dong-hoon.
"Honestly, I can't keep going here. Seung-woo's not supporting us, won't raise commissions—it's too much.
I'm thinking clean switch to another site."
Goni thought it over seriously for a moment before speaking up.
"I'll talk to my brother too—let's bail together. This ain't right.
We brought in the money, and now they're just disrespecting us."
Dong-hoon nodded beside him and added,
"Wherever hyungnim goes, I'm following. Sticking here just hurts us."
Hearing that solidified Jin-seong's resolve. With Bayern Hani's code size, other sites or lines would surely fight to take him.
Plus, as one of the most visible Master Agents on Naland, his name was already big in the industry.
Jin-seong took a deep breath and made his decision.
"Alright, let's wrap this up clean and find a site with better terms. No point wasting more time here."
The three nodded firmly at each other. No lingering ties to Seung-woo or the Bayern line.
Their hearts were already gone, filled only with confidence in landing better conditions elsewhere.
Jin-seong now moved in earnest to find a new headquarters.