Chapter 34
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Back to Korea and 6 Months Later
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jin-seong fully savored Ho Chi Minh's vibrant nightlife on the first and second nights.
Then, for the rest of the trip, he headed with the headquarters managers to a resort in Nha Trang, about two hours away from Ho Chi Minh.
The place had a relaxed, peaceful vibe—a completely different side of Vietnam.
At the Nha Trang resort, they leisurely swam at the beautiful beach and enjoyed all sorts of water sports.
In the evenings, they drank cool beer with fresh local seafood, chatting and laughing without a care for the time.
Over those shared days, the four of them grew incredibly close in no time.
They hardly talked about work at all.
Instead, they exchanged personal jokes and stories, deepening their human connection.
The four days together felt long if long, short if short, but being stuck side by side like that, it would've been weirder if they hadn't bonded.
Everyone could feel it—they'd become true friends who cared for each other beyond just business.
As long as no one messed up, this relationship was sure to last a long time.
After wrapping up the trip, it was time to part ways at the airport again.
Tae-gyu patted Jin-seong's shoulder.
"Hani, this was a blast thanks to you. We're heading back to Korea soon, so let's hang out often once we're there."
Sang-wook and Seong-i nodded with smiles too.
"Yeah, let's meet up in Korea all the time. Keep in touch."
Jin-seong smiled sincerely.
"Thanks so much. I got to enjoy Vietnam properly because of you guys. We have to meet up often once you're in Korea."
The four shook hands, hugged, and waved lightly as they parted.
Jin-seong passed through the gate and boarded the plane slowly.
He buckled up, gazed out the window.
The plane on the runway prepared for takeoff, and in that moment, the fun, special memories from Vietnam flashed by one by one.
Jin-seong was thrilled with the new personal bonds he'd built with headquarters.
Back in Korea, he vowed to stay loyal to these friends, work hard together, and definitely get rich—as he closed his eyes comfortably.
Soon, the plane left the runway and soared powerfully toward Korea.
After returning from the leisurely Vietnam schedule, Jin-seong dove straight back into his relentless pace without a break.
This time, he decided to focus on recruiting new sub-agents rather than managing existing members.
His routine was straightforward.
For master agents who already had members, he'd meet face-to-face and bring them on board as subs. For big teams, he'd negotiate acquisition terms with headquarters.
Today was the day to meet a professional TM team based in Ulsan.
Jin-seong drove to Ulsan.
He arrived, called ahead for directions, and opened the office door.
The lively atmosphere inside hit him immediately.
A male team leader waited at the front.
"Welcome. You're President Hani, right?"
Jin-seong nodded lightly and shook his hand.
The office wasn't huge, but it was clean and organized.
A large whiteboard hung on one wall, with daily sign-ups and targets neatly listed.
"As you can see, we run things with three female staff members."
The team leader guided Jin-seong and continued explaining.
"We aim for at least ten new sign-ups a day, and we pay our staff a base salary."
While listening, Jin-seong naturally observed the staff at work.
The three women were busy at their desks.
Laptops open in front of them, screens filled with densely packed Excel files of DBs.
Each wore a headset, diligently calling numbers from the DB.
"Hello, member! I'm calling with some great info~"
One staffer chatted brightly and kindly with a customer.
The one next to her was the same.
They hung up and immediately dialed the next number, pushing for sign-ups.
Memo pads piled up on their desks, jotting down key points mid-call.
The team leader spoke to Jin-seong again.
"The staff cycle through the DB like this all day to drive sign-ups. Our DB comes from actual site hacks, so conversion rates are pretty high."
Jin-seong nodded, intrigued by their setup.
The workflow and system were clean, and the staff's attitudes were diligent.
Seeing this organized operation sparked a desire to run his own team like it someday.
Jin-seong thought it over briefly, then told the team leader.
"Got it. I'll set your code at 40% for now. I'll coordinate DB support with headquarters too, so let's do well together going forward."
The team leader smiled satisfied and offered another handshake.
"Looking forward to working with you, President."
Even after the talk, Jin-seong stayed another three hours, scrutinizing how they made calls and induced sign-ups.
He wanted to run an office someday where he paid salaries directly and kept full commissions.
With Jin-seong pounding the pavement himself, even handling what headquarters should, it was a huge relief for them.
Before long, the Vietnam center staff grew to four, and the site's daily deposits and code volumes swelled, keeping things hectic.
Still, headquarters responded instantly to Jin-seong's messages.
He was the site's core figure, so extra good treatment was natural.
When meetings hit teams too big for him to handle alone, he didn't get greedy—he passed them to headquarters and pushed the negotiations.
HQ appreciated how he yielded bigger gains to prioritize them.
So they kept asking what he needed, eager to support him, but Jin-seong always declined, saying it'd be a burden.
He was the type who felt uneasy accepting freebies.
And he knew if he kept taking from HQ, he might not push hard on key terms later when it mattered.
Clean boundaries in business were his principle.
So Jin-seong politely turned down all offers.
But the Vietnam trip had built real personal rapport, so harsh demands between them faded.
Jin-seong and HQ maintained proper distance with human trust and respect.
They understood each other's positions deeply—no words needed for mutual respect and consideration. Their bond deepened that way.
Like that, six months passed as he steadily scaled up.
Two of the headquarters managers had come to Korea by then.
Tae-gyu and Seong-wook.
Every weekly settlement day, they showed up at Jin-seong's apartment with cash in hand to settle up. Jin-seong had Hyun-sik deliver cash payouts to sub-offices.
Settlements always kicked off at midnight.
By the end, it was usually past 1 a.m.
Then Tae-gyu would pat Jin-seong's shoulder like clockwork.
"Hani, let's grab drinks. Let's blow it out tonight."
Seong-wook nearby would laugh and add.
"Yeah, hit that room we went to before."
Jin-seong would drag his tired body up with a grin.
"Anywhere works. Let's roll tonight too."
The three headed to a Daegu room salon, drinking and spending wildly till dawn.
This routine brought Jin-seong and the two managers closer fast.
They treated each other like friends of years, and soon they were sharing drinks purely for fun, not business.
One day, Jin-seong's phone rang.
The screen showed a name he hadn't seen in ages.
『Seong-gwang』
After hesitating long, Jin-seong picked up slowly.
"Hey, Seong-gwang."
Seong-gwang's voice wasn't bright.
"Yo, long time. You good?"
Jin-seong chuckled lightly.
"Eh, grinding away. You? What's up lately? No drama?"
Seong-gwang sighed shortly.
"Ha, same old... still at it."
His voice carried a heavy weight.
Jin-seong paused, then probed carefully.
"Dude, you still... can't quit gambling?"
Silence hung for a bit. Seong-gwang spoke reluctantly.
"What, you think it's that easy? I still do a little. Honestly, it's gotten worse."
Jin-seong's face darkened instantly.
"Debt?"
Seong-gwang let out a dry scoff.
"Around four mil...?"
Jin-seong sighed deeply.
Seong-gwang's situation was dire.
"Listen, Seong-gwang. I'm serious—wanna work with me?"
Seong-gwang sounded flustered at the sudden shift.
"Work with you? Isn't what you do master agent stuff?"
Jin-seong didn't waver.
"Yeah. But I'll back you solid, so quit the gambling, make real money under me. Pay off that debt first—grind six months."
Seong-gwang went quiet.
Jin-seong pressed on.
"Dude, even now, I'll set you up proper. Get your head straight and live right. Think of this as your last shot."
Seong-gwang's voice trembled a bit.
"Jin-seong... truth is, I'm beat. Wanna escape this life but..."
Jin-seong sensed the waver and poured sincerity in.
"Seong-gwang, trust me and come along. I'll hand over members right away—even a few. You can't just keep piling debt on gambling."
Seong-gwang seemed deep in thought.
After silence, he spoke hard.
"Sorry, man, but it's illegal. Kinda scares me. But hearing you out... makes me think."
Jin-seong got it fully.
"I know, can't force you. You're right, it's illegal. But I'm not dragging you into danger for kicks. Just wanna help. Really mull it and let me know."
Seong-gwang replied softly.
"Thanks, Jin-seong. I'll think hard and hit you up."
Jin-seong smiled, bittersweet relief.
"Cool. Waiting for your call. Hit me up for sure."
He hung up and plunged back into his grind.
Soon after, amid the frenzy, his phone rang again.
This time, another childhood pal: Jong-won.
Jin-seong's face froze the instant he answered.
"What...?"
The news from Jong-won hit him like a thunderbolt.