Chapter 37
Chapter 37
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Is the Author Omnipotent? 37
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The last person Tae-seong had selected.
She had great skills, but during the interview, she had frozen up and couldn't even get a single word out properly.
Han Seong-ho asked in a worried tone.
“Will she be okay? Communication is the most important thing in team projects... She could barely speak, whether it was due to nerves or just a lack of social skills.”
“Exactly. She seems a bit unfit for team work.”
The team members voiced their opposition.
Tae-seong smiled in satisfaction at their outspoken opinions.
It was the exact atmosphere he wanted.
“She did seem to lack social skills, but her talent was impressive. For now, let's just observe her during the internship period. See if she adapts to the team or gets weeded out.”
“What if she still can't adapt by the end of the internship?”
“Then we'll have to conclude that you're right.”
The team members nodded at Tae-seong's words.
As they were convinced, Tae-seong smiled and lowered his head.
Then he looked at the artwork behind the woman's photo.
It was the drawings she had submitted during the document screening.
They were illustrations of monsters, with incredible detail.
‘Now, was my judgment correct?’
Tae-seong wore a subtle smile.
* * *
TS Media currently had only one webtoon team.
It was made up of the existing assistants, and their main project was the Return of the SSS-Class Hunter.
But now it was time to split the team.
It was because of the webtoon adaptation of Black Knight's Her.
“Han Seong-ho and Min-kyung will lead Team 2 for Black Knight's Her, and we'll reorganize Return of the SSS-Class Hunter as Team 1. Lee Chang-o will be the team leader for Team 1, and Han Seong-ho for Team 2.”
“Me?”
Lee Chang-o asked back, completely caught off guard by the team leader position.
“Yes. I'm counting on the sense of responsibility you've shown so far. I look forward to your hard work.”
“I... I'll do my best!”
After flashing a smile, Tae-seong turned to the other assistants.
“For the time being, Team 2 will focus entirely on producing Black Knight's Her. Return of the SSS-Class Hunter just finished Season 2, so focus on quality while building up a stockpile.”
“Got it.”
“At the same time, Lee Sang-jun, you'll be in charge of leading the new Otherworld Chef team coming into Team 3.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lee Sang-jun nodded firmly.
“New members join next week. Please help them settle into their teams quickly.”
“Understood!”
* * *
After the meeting, Tae-seong returned to his private office and sat down at his monitor.
“Hmm...”
The monitor displayed the Return of the SSS-Class Hunter webtoon.
It had hit a million views, cementing its place as Grape Books' top webtoon.
Its popularity had peaked after progressing through Season 2.
The novel version of Return of the SSS-Class Hunter was popular because the protagonist wasn't frustrating.
It was praised for its refreshing plot progression and top-notch battle scenes.
The unique creatures also contributed to its success.
Tae-seong had brought those elements to life in the webtoon.
He paid especially meticulous attention to the creatures.
He drew each one based on what he had seen with his own eyes.
Thanks to that, readers cheered for the original designs of the creatures when it was adapted into a webtoon.
‘The readers' reactions to the characters weren't bad either.’
Having experienced it firsthand, every character in Return of the SSS-Class Hunter brimmed with personality.
From the protagonist and heroine to the supporting cast, all of them.
The final battle between the boss and protagonist was so intense that even in novel form, it was overwhelmingly thrilling.
‘It's too good to leave as is.’
As his debut work, Return of the SSS-Class Hunter held a special place in his heart.
It had boosted his reputation through the webtoon, but ending it like this felt like a waste.
So he had a plan in mind.
‘Let's make some merchandise.’
Something he'd only thought about until now.
He was planning to venture into the character business.
* * *
To turn an existing work into characters, he needed to consult with relevant companies.
Even though Tae-seong held the secondary copyright, he had an obligation to explain since interests were intertwined.
That's why Tae-seong was there with Representative Kwon.
“Character business?”
“Yes. I want to produce and sell figures of the characters and creatures from Return of the SSS-Class Hunter.”
“Hmm, it definitely has market potential.”
“I'm discussing this with you and Grape Books first to get your approval before selecting a manufacturer.”
“Hmm, no issue from me. We're only contracted for the webtoon secondary rights anyway, so you're free to produce and sell characters. Have you decided on sales channels?”
“I'd like to talk with Grape Books about that.”
Grape Books had experience with character businesses for various works.
Their parent group had even successfully created and marketed their own characters.
Plus, they had their own sales channels, which would be a huge help.
“Got it. I'll contact Grape Books and set up a meeting soon.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. It's the least I can do for a business partner.”
Tae-seong smiled back at Representative Kwon's warm grin.
* * *
Representative Kwon moved quickly.
Two days later.
A meeting with Grape Books was scheduled.
“Long time no see, Author!”
Webtoon manager Kang Min-woo greeted him warmly.
“Long time no see.”
“And this is your first time meeting, right? This is Im Byeong-cheol, deputy manager of the Character Department.”
“Im Byeong-cheol.”
“I'm Jeong Tae-seong.”
After greetings, they took their seats.
Kang Min-woo led the discussion.
“I heard from Representative Kwon, but you want to do a character business?”
“Yes. TS Media will handle production, and we'd like Grape Books to manage sales.”
“Production is the hardest part. You sure about that?”
Im Byeong-cheol asked.
Having run character projects multiple times, Deputy Manager Im knew well.
The biggest challenge in figure production wasn't sales—it was the production itself.
Quality had to be backed up sufficiently.
Even fans buying out of love wouldn't want low-quality products.
But having TS Media handle production was a bit concerning.
“Yes. That's why I prepared a sample.”
“A sample?”
All three were surprised.
Even Representative Kwon hadn't known.
This talk had only come up two days ago.
A sample? That meant it had been prepared in advance.
Ignoring their surprise, Tae-seong pulled figures from his bag.
“I made a figure of So-byeol, the mascot-like character among the cast.”
So-byeol was the most popular among female fans.
It had the form of a sphere, with pointed ears, big eyes and mouth, and short limbs.
It also had a tail ending in a star.
A character with exceptional magical abilities, but often treated as a mascot due to its cute appearance.
Choosing So-byeol as the first character was a brilliant move.
“Oh ho.”
Deputy Manager Im exclaimed in admiration at the So-byeol figure.
“Made with a 3D printer?”
“Yes.”
“I don't know the company, but this is excellent. Great detail. And the coloring is perfect—like hand-painted.”
“Correct.”
“In terms of quality, this is top-tier. Feels like you commissioned a well-known manufacturer.”
“We made it in-house.”
“Pardon?”
“TS Media's Character Department produced it directly.”
“Whoa...”
Im Byeong-cheol was impressed.
“At this quality level, I'd even want to entrust our future figure commissions to you.”
“Thank you.”
It was a lie.
TS Media had no separate Character Department.
Tae-seong had bought a 3D printer after deciding to make figures.
And produced them himself.
Operating a 3D printer was child's play for Tae-seong.
Unaware of this, Deputy Manager Im and Team Leader Kang Min-woo were impressed by TS Media.
“If you can consistently deliver this quality, sales should go well. We'll discuss internally, but we'll review it positively.”
“Thank you.”
After thanking them, Tae-seong looked at Team Leader Kang Min-woo.
“And Team Leader Kang.”
“Yes.”
“I'd like to distribute Return of the SSS-Class Hunter in Japan.”
“Japan?”
“Yes. I know Grape Books operates there too.”
“Yes, though our recognition there isn't that high yet.”
“Could we distribute it through there?”
“Of course. But you might know this already—Grape Books Japan has low recognition, so expect zero sales.”
“That's fine. I'm not doing this for immediate revenue.”
“Then...?”
“The goal is to build recognition. The character market is bigger and more developed in Japan than Korea. Building a fandom there would boost figure and merchandise sales.”
“Hmm, I agree. Korea's character business has grown, but it can't match Japan yet.”
“Got it. We'll review that internally and get back to you.”
“Thank you. And I'd like to link up with Baikcent too.”
“China has censorship issues that could hinder sales.”
“Yes. If China doesn't work, targeting Hong Kong or Taiwan markets would be better.”
Baikcent had its own markets not just in mainland China, but in Hong Kong and Taiwan too.
‘He even knows that?’
Most authors were unaware of such details.
So they couldn't help but be amazed by what Tae-seong had in mind.
“Understood. We'll contact Baikcent separately.”
“Thank you.”
Grape Books' key figures, Team Leader Kang and Deputy Manager Im, were astounded by TS Media.
And one more person.
‘What can't this author do?’
Representative Kwon was equally impressed by Tae-seong's negotiation skills and business preparedness.
* * *
The day after the Grape Books meeting.
The office was bustling.
The atmosphere was always good, but today it was especially lively.
More precisely, chaotic yet energetic.
The reason was that it was the new hires' first day.
‘The framework is starting to take shape.’
They would go through a 3-month probation and become core members of Team 3.
Until then, they'd work with Team 1, including Lee Sang-jun, to learn the system.
‘They all seem to be fitting in well...’
Four out of the five interns were already chatting with existing members, eagerly seeking work advice.
They were proactive.
That's what got them hired—they'd shown it in interviews too.
But one person.
Only Ki Min-jeong, the one Tae-seong had picked, sat quietly at her desk, exuding a dark aura.