Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: S-Grade Above S-Grade!
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"We at Towerhun would like to officially scout you, Mr. Kim Juseon."
Her words hit me like a thunderbolt, leaving my head ringing as she slid the contract across the table.
Sure, they were competitors, but it wasn't even a fair comparison.
To be precise, it wasn't competition at all—it was more like envy, given the sheer scale difference between our companies.
And now, they were openly declaring they wanted to bring me on board officially.
"Me? Or my company?"
"Does it really matter?"
The smile playing on her lips screamed confidence. She was utterly convinced I wouldn't turn down this contract.
"What we want is for you to come alone, Mr. Juseon. We'd love to bring you on straight as a team leader at Towerhun headquarters."
"......"
"But if you'd prefer, we could establish a new subsidiary just for you, guaranteeing full independence in management. Of course, we'd ensure you could keep all your current staff and continue operations as usual."
When a massive corporation swallows a small firm whole, it costs a fortune—not to mention all the antitrust regulations and market monopoly scrutiny.
"So you're saying... I abandon Meracle and set up a new company—"
"That becomes a Towerhun subsidiary. It won't feel any different from what you have now."
Through the translucent folder, I caught a glimpse of the minimum salary offer. It was several times what I was pulling in now.
Bargaining could probably squeeze out even more.
My hands would've trembled if I hadn't gripped my knees. The terms were better than I'd ever imagined.
"I bet this is a tough decision."
Yoo Ji-hye took another sip of her tea and proposed yet another thoughtful concession.
"How about this? Experience Towerhun firsthand and decide after."
"Experience it?"
"Yes. We invited you here as a 'member,' after all."
"......"
"So think of yourself as a Towerhun client today. Try it out, then make your choice."
"You're awfully confident. Planned to steer things this way from the moment you invited me?"
"That's how valuable we find you as talent."
At this point, flat-out refusing would've looked ridiculous.
Besides, chances to feel the confidence of a corporate giant up close didn't come around often.
"Alright. Since you've given me the opportunity, I'll think it over."
"Great. Enjoy yourself. And remember, that contract's always within reach."
As I stood to leave, she grabbed the door handle and added one more line.
"Even if you find a match here, we won't charge the marriage fee."
"......But am I even eligible for Noble grade?"
"We judged you worthy of it."
It felt a bit biased, but hey—if they were rating me high, I wasn't about to complain.
Back at my seat, the tables had filled up completely.
The noisy pair from the entrance had settled in too. The purple-haired one was Noble grade like me.
The Old Martial World agent was, predictably, top-tier Sovereign.
Moments later, a professional emcee stepped up, grabbed the mic, and greeted us.
"Good evening, everyone. I'm Kim Cheol-jung, your host tonight."
Polite applause followed.
The emcee continued smoothly.
"Welcome to tonight's White Rose Gala, where we've gathered such fine gentlemen and ladies. The event will run about three to four hours. After personal introductions, we'll have ten-minute one-on-one rotations."
The flow was seamless.
Simpler and cleaner than I'd expected.
I'd been curious about their format, and now I had something to learn.
"Alright, let's start with introductions. First up, Rex, please come forward."
Clap clap clap clap.
Courteous applause accompanied his rise, but his smirking grin came off as tacky.
Even indoors, he kept his sunglasses on. Was there a reason?
"Hey everyone, I'm Rex from Cyber City. Twenty-five years old, and I have a feeling this party's gonna be a blast."
Disgust welled up from the way he flicked his tongue.
It felt deliberate, like he was trying to undermine trust in Towerhun among the participants.
As the mood soured, the emcee jumped in hastily.
"Ahem! Rex? What's your occupation?"
"Occupation? Oh... Perspective Designer, Neuro Caster, and Synaptic Influencer."
"Pardon? What does that—"
"Too technical for Third Floor folks to grasp, huh?"
Look at this guy?
Sneering subtly, thinking no one would catch it.
"Then get down. No point explaining if they won't get it."
A bespectacled woman from the Royal seats cut in coldly.
Everyone here was high-grade.
Towerhun's elite weren't just pretty faces or fat wallets—credentials mattered big time.
No one missed that lowbrow jab.
"Ah, uh... sure."
Rex slunk back down, flustered.
Once reseated, he ground his teeth, barely hiding his bewilderment.
"Fucking Third Floor pig bitch dares—"
A whisper just loud enough for me, next to him.
'Floorist, huh.'
Where'd they dig up this creep? My faith in Towerhun cracked right there.
The staff standing behind visibly paled—clearly, Rex's attitude wasn't in their calculations.
Yoo Ji-hye, arms crossed and watching, quickly reviewed files, realizing they'd misjudged the guy.
"Next, Mr. Kim Juseon, please."
My turn came right up.
I stepped forward and took the mic.
"Good evening. I'm Kim Juseon, twenty-eight. I run a business."
Flashing a friendly smile was second nature by now, honed professionally—like donning a cap.
The emcee beamed at my approachable vibe, a stark contrast to Rex.
"Hiding your job trendy these days? Care to specify?"
"Well, actually, I run a marriage agency."
Gasps of surprise rippled through the room.
I'd dangled "business" on purpose for this reaction.
"Matching all sorts of people left me zero time for my own connections. And I can't date my own clients."
Light laughter spread.
"So I turned to a matchmaker. As an industry pro, Towerhun topped my list for customer satisfaction. Methodical and trustworthy."
The Towerhun staff perked up.
Yoo Ji-hye shot me a surprised look, then a satisfied, alluring smile.
'You owe me one.'
I'd reset the mood Rex had trashed.
"Wow! Separating work and play like a pro—charming! Any questions?"
A few women eyed me with subtle interest.
The emcee and I both noticed.
'Thanks to Kim Yang's makeover?'
Guess it worked on me too.
"What did you do before the agency?"
The bespectacled woman who'd iced Rex earlier—this time with a soft smile. Good first impression.
"I trained at Hunter Academy, aiming to debut. Didn't make the cut."
"Ah, that explains it. You're built well. Great physique."
Others scanned me too.
Felt like raw meat on display—kinda embarrassing.
Next, an athletic woman raised her hand.
"Which class? I'm an instructor there. Did I teach you?"
Instructor? Pro gig.
Definitely not average folk.
Reveal it?
'Nothing special.'
"Class 111."
"111? The golden class? With Hunter Yumia and Hunter Ryu Seram?"
"Yeah. Saw them around occasionally."
The room buzzed again.
Towerhun staff and Yoo Ji-hye looked stunned.
"No wonder you washed out."
"That class was brutal, right?"
"My instructor seniors said tons of talent got cut—such a shame."
"Must've sucked."
They even rationalized it for me, chattering among themselves.
The vibe flowed better than expected.
Up front, Prism's leader Seo Ha-jin muttered.
"Acquainted with Seram unnie, huh."
Seram unnie?
She knew Ryu Seram?
Introductions wrapped up routinely after that.
One after another, jaw-dropping specs.
Others saw matches; I saw clients through agency president eyes.
'Oh, she'd pair perfectly with that guy from our files.'
Meracle folders matched in my head naturally.
Then came Towerhun's S-Grade.
The first Sovereign introduction.
The man wore pristine Old Martial World formal attire, eyes slitted so thin his pupils vanished.
A faint sigh escaped the Towerhun staff.
"Greetings. I am a mere attendant of Young Master Cheonjong, attending as his proxy."
"Proxy?"
The bespectacled woman again.
No one objected. Everyone was pissed.
Not showing up personally? Sending a proxy?
Even for Old Martial World's outdated mindset, this was too much.
The emcee intervened swiftly.
"Y-Young Master Cheonjong is the son of the Minister of State, head of the Shangshu Province."
The atmosphere froze solid.
Only Rex slammed the table.
"Minister of what? How fucking elite is this guy?!"
"Cough. Better shut it."
I poked his side and whispered awkwardly.
"The Old Martial World Imperial Court has three key organs under the Emperor."
Zhongshu Province, Menxia Province, Shangshu Province.
"Zhongshu drafts edicts, decrees, and laws per the Emperor's will."
"Menxia reviews them—can reject issues or send back to the Emperor."
And finally, Shangshu—
"Executes the finalized orders."
The Emperor's hand enforcing law.
"The Minister of State heads Shangshu Province."
Son of what amounted to the executive branch chief.
Didn't belong here.
S-Grade above S-Grade.
Once identities clicked, some even felt relieved about the proxy.
'Whoa, damn...'
I was impressed instead.
'They've got the Minister's son as a member?'
Towerhun wasn't top marriage agency on the Third Floor for nothing.