Ch 153
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 153
The dictionary definition of a contract is the expression of mutual intentions for the purpose of creating certain legal effects. It is a legal act that is established only when offer, employment, and acceptance match, establishing creditor relationships such as sales, employment, and lease.
It may seem difficult at first glance, but simply put, it means a relationship established by mutual consent.
However, even if both parties initially agreed, human hearts cannot always remain the same as they were at the beginning.
Therefore, most contracts include penalty clauses for when the contract is broken or terminated midway.
The party that wants to end the contract must pay damages, and in modern times, compensation is mostly made with money.
Fortunately, Se-byeol had kept the contract in her email, so I could check it right away.
[Article 15 (Termination or Cancellation of Contract)
"Celebrity contracts are complicated."
"There's no need to think about it complicatedly. Simply put, it means pay up if you want to break the contract."
"Huh? Then..."
Se-jin seems to have caught on too.
"Right. It means you can become free as much as you want if you just pay money. Se-byeol?"
"Ah, yes."
"How much settlement did you receive in the past 2 years?"
Since there are 2 years left on the contract, she only needs to pay as much as she received in the past 2 years.
"It's about 300 million won... But the penalty is based on sales, not settlement. Even if we exclude the damages in number 1, if you look at number 2, the penalty is based on sales, not the amount we received in settlement, so it's tremendously much..."
Indeed, as Se-byeol said, the contract sets the penalty based on sales, not net profit.
It's completely like loan sharks, but it's not that surprising.
When I was writing and researching materials before, the standard contracts I saw were similar to this, and there were many that were even worse.
"It will cost a bit more money, but it doesn't matter."
Stevia isn't a completely unknown girl group with no recognition, but it's not a popular girl group either.
If they were really popular singers in the first place, they wouldn't have become targets of such dirty tricks.
I don't know exactly, but would their annual sales be around 5 billion won, let alone 10 billion?
Even if it's 2 years of sales, it probably won't reach 10 billion.
If it's that much, I can pay it sufficiently.
"It would be roughly within 10 billion, right?"
"Um, 10 billion is..."
"Don't worry about money. Our Se-jin is so rich. Right?"
"Yes?"
"Then should I use the teacher's money?"
"Ah..."
"No. I also have some shame, how could I use such a large amount..."
"No, sister. I said I'd help, so I'll help."
"No, what kind of such a large amount..."
"You can't stay in that trashy company forever, right?"
The sight of them caring for each other is quite touching.
Actually, I was testing whether they were trying to help with half-hearted intentions, but with this level of determination, it seems okay to genuinely help.
CLAP! CLAP!
"That's enough. Well, I never intended to give money from the beginning."
"Yes? Then how..."
"We'll have to talk first."
Power isn't only on their side.
***
"Is there a need to proceed in such a troublesome way? We just need to beat to death both the entertainment company representative and the guy who made the sponsor proposal."
Haha... That Luciel girl has been saying since before that she was originally kind but her personality changed because she was corrupted by demonic energy.
Now her wing color has changed too, but maybe because it's just one?
No, maybe her original personality was...
"Why are you looking at me with those eyes?"
"Ah, no. If we carelessly touch that side, the sister Se-jin knows might be in danger. If it becomes known that Se-jin is around, it might even reach me."
"Aren't you worrying too much? If they're such trash, they wouldn't have just one or two enemies, so wouldn't it be fine?"
Luciel's words aren't entirely without merit.
However, within Hwasin Group, there's a much higher possibility that they'll investigate Se-byeol, who that guy is currently targeting.
Even if he's not a direct member of Hwasin Group, since he's part of the royal family, they definitely won't just let it slide.
Honestly, Hwasin Group is more troublesome than the police or public authority.
There's even a saying that South Korea is the Hwasin Republic.
Moreover, unlike when we attacked Lee Ji-sung's house, because he's from a branch family, there are limits to what we can find out online.
I could find out his name Lee Ji-hoon, his photo, and that he works at Hwasin Daily, but I couldn't find out more than that.
It would have been much more convenient if I had found out his home address.
Since his obsession was beyond imagination, wouldn't we meet him as we proceed with the plan?
If that doesn't work, I can find out when I revisit to lift Lee Ji-sung's curse.
***
—Representative Lee! That girl Park Se-byeol changed her phone number, completely quit SNS, and is ignoring us!
"Yes? Ah, I'm sorry. I'll find out the number right away and contact..."
—Didn't you say a week would be enough? Didn't you say investment has already gone in so it can't be canceled? If it continues like this, I might overturn everything!
"Um, then I'll call her separately and try to persuade her well. If the other members know they're suffering because of her..."
—You should have done that from the start. Do it properly. Send the number right away.
"Ah, understood."
He hangs up before I can even finish talking.
Does this horny bastard have no sense of hierarchy?
It's not like he's a loan shark, but nagging every day is too stressful.
That Se-byeol girl is also really frustrating.
Since good things are good things, she should naturally know to bend her will a bit.
Irritation surges up.
I was about to press the intercom to call Manager Kim, but the intercom rings first.
"What?"
—President, a visitor has come to see you.
"What visitor? I shouldn't have any appointments today."
—They say they didn't make an appointment...
"Secretary Jung! Do I have to meet people who come without appointments?"
—But...
"But what... Do you really think I pay you a salary to work like that!"
I was about to tell him to get lost and call Manager Kim, but the door opened and some young man and woman entered.
"Who are you?"
"President Lee Jung-jae, let's talk for a moment."
I was about to call security to throw them out for coming without an appointment and asking what they wanted to talk about, but somehow their faces looked familiar.
No, wait...
"Are you perhaps Hunter Kang Shin-hyeok?"
"I should have made an appointment, but I was a bit busy and forgot. But it's fortunate that you recognize me. Is it okay for a moment?"
He grins and sits down without even getting permission.
No, why would Hunter Kang Shin-hyeok come looking for me?
There should be no connection between us at all...
I wondered what it was about, but I had no choice but to sit down.
"I wonder why the very busy Hunter Kang Shin-hyeok came to see me..."
"Well, it's nothing much... You don't seem to know my partner here."
"Are you a hunter? I don't know much about the hunter side..."
"I'm Kim Se-jin."
Kim Se-jin? The name sounds familiar...
"Se-jin, you need to work a bit harder."
If Kang Shin-hyeok's partner is Kim Se-jin... Ah!
"Oh my, I didn't recognize our national hero. You're Hunter Kim Se-jin who won the WHCU last year. I'm Lee Jung-jae."
I extended my hand, but she doesn't even glance at me.
"You understand, right? My partner doesn't have very good feelings about you, President."
"Yes? This is our first meeting as far as I know, did I perhaps make some mistake...?"
"Well, you'll naturally find out as we talk, so shall we get straight to the point?"
"Ah, yes."
"To put it bluntly, my partner wants to do entertainment business and there are friends she wants to bring from your company. What was the name?"
"Stevia."
"Ste... Stevia? Um, those friends are a bit..."
"Is it difficult? From what I heard, the company is neglecting them."
"Who, who said such a thing? Those kids got high standards, so even when we arrange schedules for them, they say they won't do it."
"I heard you only brought schedules that required exposure to a girl group with a pure concept?"
No, how does he know that... Did he meet the Stevia members beforehand?
"That Se-byeol member is in quite a special relationship with my partner."
Damn it...
No, if they had that kind of relationship, she would have said something earlier.
"That... Um, since you're new to the business, you might not know well, but broadcast work isn't something where you can only do what you want to do..."
"All the Stevia members have already contracted to come to the company I'm making."
"Yes? No, there should still be about 2 years left on their contract with us... According to industry customs, you shouldn't do this."
"Then according to customs, does it make sense for an entertainment company president to sell their affiliated celebrities to sponsors?"
Ah... It seems like they came knowing everything.
"I, I had no choice either. It's not like I wanted to do that..."
"'Had no choice.' That doesn't seem like something you should say, President."
"No, really I also..."
"Were you threatened or something? For someone who was, you invested quite a lot from Hwasin in the new group HS Entertainment is launching. They're even filming commercials before debuting."
"That, that's..."
"I don't really like talking at length, so please resolve this nicely. And withdraw all the drugs you've spread throughout the industry."
"Some of it was done by me, but most of it was Lee Ji-hoon... Even if I reverse it, that horny bastard Lee Ji-hoon won't stay still."
"He won't stay still? Are you saying that bastard will fight us?"
***
President Lee suddenly became silent.
From his appearance, he seems like quite a calculating type... He's probably calculating in his head right now who would be stronger.
"You seem to have a lot of thoughts, but I didn't come to negotiate, I came to notify."
"Notify? Don't tell me you made contracts? Those kids are legally our company's affiliates..."
"After trying to sell your affiliated celebrities, hoping to maintain contracts is too shameless, isn't it?"
"No matter what, taking people away in such a high-handed manner doesn't make sense..."
"If you have complaints, try filing lawsuits or media play."
"What, what? No matter how much you're an S-rank hunter, if Hwasin Group steps up..."
TSK TSK, it seems like he thinks the Lee Ji-hoon side is stronger, but that's a complete misjudgment.
"Do you think Chairman Lee of Hwasin Group, who isn't even of direct lineage, would try to make enemies of two S-rank hunters to help the misdeeds committed by a scoundrel from a branch family?"
"Two... Two?"
"You don't seem to know who Se-jin's father is."
He seems to have realized now, but I don't know how he's been a president with such a head.
"Then I... If I obediently hand over Stevia to you, Lee Ji-hoon won't leave me alone..."
"So what?"
TCH, I was about to say it first, but Se-jin was a step faster.
"What?"
"Why are you asking us that? You should take responsibility for the misdeeds you committed, President."
"No, then do you think I'll cooperate obediently?"
It seems like he wants to go to the end... Really foolish.
"President, whether you're a chaebol or a president, you die the same when stabbed with a knife."
"Are, are you threatening me now?"
"Do you happen to know a monster called Shadow Reaper?"
"What's that out of the blue..."
"It's a quite rare guy with the ability to hide in shadows, so accidents where it escapes portals often occur."
At the same time as speaking, I raised my sword energy and cut the table in half.
"It hides in shadows and attacks people, cutting them in half like this to kill them. If someone killed you, President, and placed that guy's corpse next to your body, what do you think would happen?"
"..."
"It's quite a rare guy, but obtaining one of its corpses isn't that difficult for me."