Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Success
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Kim Jin-seong paused for a moment, staring at the thick stack of cash amounting to 100 million won in front of him.
The feel of the money under his fingertips felt strangely unfamiliar.
The eight months he'd spent racing toward this goal flashed before his eyes.
It had been pure hell for him, but the thought that he'd finally reached his target made the corners of his mouth curl up involuntarily.
From the 100 million won he'd hidden in his room back at his parents' house, Kim Jin-seong grabbed 80 million.
He'd borrowed 70 million from his parents, but with interest and pocket money over time, it had added up to another 10 million.
As he emerged into the living room clutching the hefty bundle of cash, his parents looked at him with puzzled expressions.
Without hesitation, Kim Jin-seong held out the stack of bills to them.
To his wide-eyed parents, he spoke calmly.
"Dad, Mom, this is the money I borrowed from you before."
"The 70 million I took, plus 10 million for interest and pocket money—80 million total."
His shocked father adjusted his glasses and stared at him.
"What? Jin-seong, how on earth did you earn this much money?"
Facing his parents' suspicious question, Kim Jin-seong thought for a moment.
Of course, he couldn't tell them the straight truth.
After a brief internal debate, he slowly gave the answer he'd prepared.
"I've set up on my own and started a small company. We're doing stock-related info and consulting services, earning through fees."
His parents exchanged baffled looks for a moment before his father cautiously asked,
"You're not doing anything shady, are you?"
Kim Jin-seong shook his head firmly and smiled.
"No, Dad. It's just stocks. I give people good info when they trade, and take a fee in return."
"Everyone's doing it these days—no issues."
His parents let out sighs of relief, and his father patted his shoulder.
"Aigoo, you must've been through a lot. Thank you."
Seeing his parents' expressions eased Kim Jin-seong's heart.
A pang of guilt pricked him for lying, but at least the debt was now cleanly settled.
After handing over the money and returning to his room, he let out a deep breath.
He was left with just 20 million now, but Kim Jin-seong felt no worry at all.
His personal code alone brought in over 10 million per weekly settlement,
and the commissions from his master agents added up to more than another 10 million.
Monthly, that meant he was pulling in nearly 100 million.
He had no regrets about the path he'd chosen.
Gazing out the window, Kim Jin-seong drew in another deep breath.
His goal was to go even further, even higher.
The day had finally come to move into the apartment.
With a deposit subsidy from headquarters, Kim Jin-seong headed straight to the real estate agent the next day and signed the contract.
The deposit was 10 million won, monthly rent 600,000, and with management fees, about 800,000 a month total.
Holding the contract, he felt a swell of pride and smiled.
Recalling the days grinding away in the two-room office lightened his heart even more.
But there was no time for sentimentality.
To settle into the apartment, he needed to furnish it completely.
He quickly called a cleaning service for the move-in clean, then started snapping up used items as much as possible.
He scoured online and offline spots, hustling to find near-new secondhand appliances.
Sofa, two beds, desk, TV, vacuum, fridge—the essentials kept arriving at the apartment.
All day, Kim Jin-seong sweated buckets, personally hauling stuff and meticulously setting up the computers.
He kept Hyun-sik's small room basic,
but fully kitted out the large room for himself and the middle one designated as the office.
Once everything was ready, he went back to his parents' house to pack his clothes and personal items.
Back at the apartment, after sorting his clothes, it finally looked like a lived-in home.
Sitting on the spacious living room sofa for a breather, he sipped cool water, the fatigue washing away.
Kim Jin-seong closed his eyes quietly, savoring the moment.
He'd started from nothing alone, but achieving each goal faster than expected filled him with joy and pride.
Exhausted from the nonstop hustle, but it was all worth it.
He hadn't told Goni and Jeong-bae at the two-room office about his new place.
Exposing the sub-headquarters main office location could jeopardize the entire line, so security demanded it.
Instead, he decided to give Goni and Jeong-bae 400,000 won each monthly for living expenses.
It was basically meal money anyway—no big deal.
Kim Jin-seong never skimped on supporting his master agents, giving more generously than he'd received from Bayern Fam back in the day.
Already knowing his mindset, the agents trusted him completely, stayed satisfied, and followed loyally.
Hyun-sik was set to pack up and move in tomorrow.
In the group chat with his master agents, Kim Jin-seong sent a message.
—Keep growing your sizes hard, and when you're big enough, I'll call you up to the main office. Give it your all.
His message sparked their competitive drive, each vowing to push harder.
As the long day wound down, Kim Jin-seong lay on his new king-size bed.
A melting sense of comfort washed over him.
Gazing at the ceiling with a smile, he drifted off, heart pounding with anticipation for the future unfolding ahead.
The next day, Hyun-sik arrived at the apartment.
Pulling his suitcase through the door, he gawked at the clean, tidy interior from the entrance, eyes wide.
For someone who'd only lived in one-rooms or two-rooms, the apartment's spacious, airy vibe was a whole new world.
Hyun-sik unpacked right away and headed to his room.
It was small, prepared by Kim Jin-seong, but he was just amazed.
He carefully set up his latest computer and dual monitors.
Now the work setup was perfect.
With excitement bubbling, he called out to Kim Jin-seong in the big room.
"Hyung-nim, this place is awesome."
"First time in an apartment—it's the best."
Seeing Hyun-sik's thrilled face, Kim Jin-seong smiled warmly.
"We're living together because you're delivering results and working hard."
"From now on, think of yourself as my right-hand man and take it seriously."
In truth, he had Goni and Jeong-bae by his side.
Goni had been with him longer, but he was always focused on caring for his younger brother Jordan,
and his personal size was too small to keep close.
Jeong-bae worked diligently enough, but with military service looming,
he couldn't commit long-term.
Kim Jin-seong was looking for someone reliable.
Hyun-sik had only been working a few months, but showed incredible passion and solid results in that short time.
In the master agent world, results mattered more than age or connections.
Hyun-sik had already proven himself in the office, outpacing the others and earning respect.
"Hyung-nim, thank you so much."
"I'll work even harder to live up to the chance you've given me."
Watching Hyun-sik's resolve, Kim Jin-seong nodded with a grin.
He felt certain he could truly trust Hyun-sik with big responsibilities.
Kim Jin-seong planned to paint an even bigger picture alongside him.
Hyun-sik was exceeding expectations, a dependable right-hand man.
Both Hyun-sik and Kim Jin-seong were one step closer to the futures they'd dreamed of.
A full year had passed since Kim Jin-seong began operating the sub-headquarters in earnest.
In that year, his life had transformed beyond recognition.
Now, even without extra effort—just breathing—he raked in over 80 million per weekly settlement.
As Kim Jin-seong grew rapidly, his main site iQos headquarters exploded too, perfect synergy at play.
In the master agent circles, just hearing "SENES Hani" meant everyone knew him—his name value had skyrocketed.
Even brief appearances on Naland drew endless contacts from headquarters folks and agents eager to join his downline.
In agent group chats, plenty dreamed of working under him once.
It stemmed from his reputation for treating downline master agents exceptionally well.
This industry often saw uppers skim settlements or poach members,
so agents rarely trusted their superiors.
But Kim Jin-seong was different, never once delaying payouts or causing issues—always handling money cleanly.
That trust and fame meant his downlines worked worry-free, driven to excel.
As his prestige grew, quality agents flocked naturally.
Those wanting to grow without fearing upper skims lined up for his downline, fueling momentum that accelerated his code's growth.
His year proved how much power trust wielded in the master agent world.
The SENES line had already grown far beyond his initial dreams.
But Kim Jin-seong still aimed bigger.
His daily routine was simple now.
Gone were the days of posting picks on Naland or micromanaging members via personal chats.
He focused solely on being the "manager."
The system ran itself perfectly without his direct involvement.
He'd even hired a staffer for member management.
A young woman who handled daily member chats and accounts via KakaoTalk,
and TM sales calls for new recruits.
Kim Jin-seong just spot-checked; no need for minutiae.
The only days he sat in the office were before settlements.
Then, he'd meticulously verify the sub-headquarters code's total payout and calculate shares for downline agents.
Next day, gather them at the spot and hand out cash bundles one by one—that was it.
He used to deliver personally, but now they came to him, his status elevated.
In those moments, he felt undeniable superiority and power.
Casually opening bags stuffed with cash, distributing to the eager agents below—it felt like a king bestowing favors on his subjects.
As the sums grew, so did changes in his life.
The days of scraping by young and gambling-hard were a distant memory,
as was agonizing all night to repay his parents.
Handling so much money dulled his sense of its value.
One or two million no longer felt big; even 10-million handouts to agents were just numbers.
Losing on sports bets barely stung.
He sensed he was getting drunk on money, but had no desire to leave this abundant life.
Success's sweet temptation was too strong, no reason to return to hardship.
He could hardly recall normal life anymore.
Surrounded by cash, Kim Jin-seong's days flowed numbly, glamorously.