Chapter 36
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Wedding
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Before long, Jin-seong's younger sister's wedding was just a few days away.
Because he'd been so busy, he hadn't even been able to attend the engagement ceremony, and it always left him feeling uneasy.
There had been an important meeting scheduled out of town that very day, so he had no choice, but he still felt sorry toward his sister.
To ease his guilt even a little, he transferred 2 million won to her and left a message.
『Sorry I couldn't make it to the engagement. Buy yourself some nice clothes with this and use it for whatever you need.』
His sister replied right away.
『Whoa, oppa, thank you so muchㅠㅠ I was just stressing over what to wear! I'll put it to good use!』
There had been a time when she resented her brother deeply for his gambling addiction and the debts it brought.
But now, with him doing so well and looking after her like this, she felt proud and happy deep down.
A few days before the wedding, Jin-seong stopped by the TM office, drinking coffee and chatting with the staff.
"Ah, my little sister's wedding is coming up soon, but I don't have anyone to sing a congratulatory song."
As Jin-seong grumbled, a female employee who'd been listening spoke up with a curious look.
"Oppa, want me to sing it for you?"
Jin-seong looked at her in slight surprise.
"Huh? You can sing?"
The employee smiled confidently.
"I majored in practical music. And I can bring along a couple of friends from my department who are really good singers too."
Jin-seong thought for a moment, then immediately messaged his sister.
『Hey, need a congratulatory singer?』
Her reply came shortly after.
『Nah, I was thinking of just skipping it since no one's offering.』
Jin-seong followed up right away.
『I've got some staff who sing well. Want me to ask them?』
His sister's response was quick.
『Whoa, really? That'd be amazingㅠㅠ』
Jin-seong turned back to the employee with a smile.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you and your friends. I'll let you know the date and time, so ask Yeong-ho for a ride and come together."
The employee nodded brightly.
"Got it, oppa! Don't worry about a thing."
Jin-seong pulled 600,000 won in cash from his clutch and handed it to her.
"Here, take this. Split it with your friends—20,000 won each. For your trouble."
The employee blinked in surprise.
"Huh? Oppa, you don't have to... I offered because I wanted to help."
Jin-seong smiled firmly.
"Labor deserves compensation. Just take it."
Overwhelmed by his resolute attitude, the employee carefully accepted the money with thanks.
"Thank you, oppa!"
Soon, Jin-seong called the office manager, Yeong-ho.
"Hey, Yeong-ho. Come to the wedding that day too and grab some food."
Yeong-ho agreed readily.
"Sure thing. See you then."
Finally, the wedding day arrived.
Jin-seong dressed in a sharp black suit early in the morning and prepared to head to the venue.
Thinking of his sister's face brought a warm smile to his lips.
It had been a long time since he'd gathered with family.
The family time he'd put off amid his busy routine was finally here.
On the wedding day, Jin-seong sat at the gift-receiving table with his cousin.
They had the gift ledger spread out on the table, meticulously recording names and amounts as guests handed over their envelopes, then distributing meal tickets.
"Oppa, long time no see!"
His sister's friends greeted him cheerfully.
He smiled and welcomed them warmly.
"Yeah, it's been a while! Thanks for coming. How many meal tickets? Eat up and enjoy~"
His kind reception drew bright smiles from his sister's friends as they headed inside.
Soon after, staff from the TM team Jin-seong ran began arriving one by one.
"Congratulations, hyungnim."
The employees handed over envelopes with serious expressions. Jin-seong bowed to them with a bright smile.
"Thanks. Appreciate you coming on a weekend."
Most of the lower-level master agents involved in site operations attended as well.
Those living far away sent simple gifts, but locals showed up in person.
The head office managers, who valued the event, had all the ones in Korea attend, each contributing a hefty 2 million won.
"Hani, congrats for real."
Managers like Tae-gyu and Seong-uk said with smiles. Jin-seong bowed deeper, beaming.
"Thanks so much for coming all this way. Eat well later."
In that moment, Jin-seong felt his shoulders lift a bit.
His guests had contributed far more than the regular attendees.
He'd brought around 40 people himself, and their total gifts already exceeded 15 million won.
In fact, ahead of the wedding, Jin-seong had already given his sister 50 million won in cash.
Stunned by the unexpected sum, she'd thanked him profusely.
Seeing her happy face filled him with pride too.
The ceremony began, but Jin-seong had to man the gift table, so he couldn't watch from inside.
He could only hear the emcee's announcements and the proceedings through the door.
When it came time for congratulatory songs, the emcee introduced the singers.
"Next up, the bride's brother's staff will perform a congratulatory song."
Jin-seong smiled faintly.
His employees took the stage, offered congratulations to his sister, and began singing.
The song carried outside, and surprisingly good—Jin-seong was quietly pleased.
As the ceremony reached its finale, his sister tearfully read a letter to her parents and brother Jin-seong.
Listening from outside the door, Jin-seong felt his face heat up each time she thanked him.
It was a bit embarrassing, but seeing her genuinely happy warmed his heart.
Once everything wrapped up, Jin-seong stepped out to greet his guests.
"Thank you all so much for coming. Enjoy the meal."
He made a special point to thank the singers.
"You guys did great today. Thanks to you, my sister's wedding was even better. Eat up and take it easy going home."
And so, Jin-seong's big event concluded successfully.
Taking care of family for the first time in ages, surrounded by those close to him—that day became a special memory for him too.
The TM team was steadily getting on stable footing as time passed.
The staff's skills had improved, and it looked like they'd soon generate profits exceeding their salaries.
With the TM team running smoothly, Jin-seong felt secure enough to start stepping back.
He called Yeong-ho aside for a talk.
"Yeong-ho, the team's solid now. From here on, handle management and operations yourself. I'll definitely show for any team dinners, so take good care of everyone and lead them well."
Yeong-ho nodded seriously at Jin-seong's words.
"Got it, Jin-seong. Since you trust me with it, I'll do my best."
Yeong-ho too felt a sense of accomplishment watching the daily influx of codes.
It had been tough at first, unfamiliar with the work, but seeing the TM team grow brought real satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Jin-seong had noticed a rise in inexplicable attacks and rumors in the community where he operated.
With other lines struggling to acquire members, they began targeting Jin-seong's expanding line.
When field master agents tried luring members via one-on-one chats, most were already under Jin-seong's line.
Frustrated, rival master agents started spreading deliberate falsehoods to undermine him.
"That line's a scam. The site's about to eat and run."
These smears spread quickly, but loyalty among Jin-seong's members was higher than expected.
They screenshot the slander and reported it straight to their assigned master agents.
This was due to the policy Jin-seong had posted in the member chat.
[If you spot any master agents badmouthing our line or spreading rumors, report immediately. 30,000 points reward upon verification.]
Members eagerly reported to snag easy points, passing them to their master agents, who forwarded to Hyun-sik.
Hyun-sik traced the offending lines upon reports, issuing warnings or direct pressure.
With Jin-seong's field force so large and strong, they could easily harass rivals.
Still, with reports pouring in and smears persisting, Jin-seong felt the need for a more direct counter.
"Gotta find a more aggressive way to handle this..."
The daily hacking DB purchases for TM operations were also grating—costly and rife with scams.
Why not build his own hacking team for stable DB access and use it to strike rival lines?
Plus, long-term, he wanted in on the site HQ's core ops.
Securing talent now was smart for the future.
Jin-seong quietly began scouting.
He scoured dark web communities for skilled hackers.
For Jin-seong, preparations for a bigger game were just beginning.