Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Suspicious Interview
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Chapter 97
"Is this really not some cult? Ah, but I actually need to get a job this time..."
It was Choi Min-ji's honest worry, sitting face-to-face with Jeong-hyeon.
Lately, she'd heard from various places that the world was so chaotic that cults were disguising themselves as companies.
At least his impression was sharp and upright—quite good, in fact.
It was hard to imagine someone with that face going around proselytizing for a cult.
But didn't cults typically exploit such blind spots to get close?
If the fact that he wasn't wearing a neat suit to the interview was meant to dispel suspicions, it made sense.
Once a suspicion took root, it snowballed.
Meanwhile, oblivious to Minji's concerns, Jeong-hyeon jumped straight in with a question.
"Anything you're curious about? Let's start there."
"......?"
It was a bit abrupt, but it would filter out anyone worth filtering right away.
He could go into details afterward.
Of course, that was just Jeong-hyeon's own thinking.
'Am I the interviewer here?'
Naturally, hearing his question threw Minji's mind into chaos.
She even glanced around, rolling her eyes to check for cameras.
What kind of interviewer shows up in casual clothes and asks if you have any questions?
'It's probably not a cult, at least.'
The suspicion hadn't fully vanished, but it wasn't as strong as before.
A con artist's hallmark was supposed to be flashy eloquence.
Asking if she had questions out of the blue?
It would have felt more cult-like if he'd started gushing about how great his company was.
No matter how gullible someone was, they wouldn't fall for this.
Minji wanted to ask if he even wanted to hire anyone, but it didn't seem like something a job candidate should say, so she held back.
"Um, what does this company do, exactly?"
But she couldn't hold back this question.
HJH Gate Office.
What on earth did this company even do?
A search online turned up no articles, and the job posting only vaguely mentioned "general office work" without specifics.
Jeong-hyeon pondered her question for a moment before smiling and answering.
What did the company do?
Simple.
"We specialize in clearing Mission Gates."
"Mission Gates? So, are you a subsidiary of a major guild? Or do you have some kind of agreement...?"
"Nope, nothing like that."
Jeong-hyeon's answer was firm.
Which only complicated things in Minji's head.
She had a rough idea about Mission Gates.
They were frequently featured on the news and MyTV, so it was impossible not to know.
But Mission Gates offered great rewards, and even guilds rarely tackled them unless they had to.
How could a gate office without guild backing or agreements handle Mission Gates exclusively?
"So, how do you plan to secure the Mission Gates?"
"Well... we'll make it work somehow. Don't worry about it, Ms. Choi."
Jeong-hyeon paused at her concerned question before replying confidently.
It might sound ridiculous, but it was the truth.
He couldn't spill all the details about himself to a civilian, so in short, it would work out somehow.
"Th-then, what rank are you? Wait, is it okay to ask that?"
Minji pressed on.
A Mission Gate office.
That part was good.
Regardless of how they'd clear them, if he wasn't running this to tank the business, there had to be a plan for jobs.
So the key question: Was the boss competent?
To confidently claim Mission Gates, he had to be at least B-Rank, maybe A-Rank.
If so, she could trust and work for him, rudeness be damned—she needed to know his rank.
But his response was a doozy.
"Oh, I'm unregistered. Forgot to show you my hunter license."
"......?"
What was this supposed to mean?
Unregistered?
In other words, low-rank.
Or more bluntly, F-Rank.
Most people who stayed unregistered were embarrassed to admit they were F-Rank.
Sure, there were rare cases of high-rankers skipping registration, but the boss in front of her didn't seem like he was hiding some massive secret.
While Minji sat stunned, Jeong-hyeon pulled out his hunter license from his pocket and handed it over.
Sure enough, the trait section read "Unregistered."
"Ha... what a waste."
She handed it back with an internal sigh.
All that tension to come here for this.
She felt utterly deflated.
She asked one more question, less out of genuine interest in the job and more curiosity about what this guy was thinking starting a business.
"If I were to join, what would my job be?"
But once Jeong-hyeon got going, he didn't hold back.
He replied confidently, as if he'd been waiting for it.
"Your job would be making the company website first, then organizing and handing over client request data afterward. Oh, do you know how to build websites?"
"Yes, I have the certification, but..."
"Perfect. Start tomorrow."
Jeong-hyeon even clapped in delight.
Finally, a real hire.
At least to him.
'This is no good.'
Minji shook her head inwardly.
The company was weird.
The boss was too young, for starters.
Sure, hunter skill didn't care about age, but he needed to inspire trust.
He looked even younger than her.
And an unregistered hunter tackling Mission Gates?
At this point, she wondered if that license was even real.
Maybe a fake prop.
"Sorry, but I don't think I can join."
"What? Why?"
As Minji rose to leave, Jeong-hyeon looked baffled.
After such smooth sailing, why back out now?
Now Minji was the baffled one, shaking her head as she explained.
If it was a joke, quit it. If serious, it was frustratingly obtuse.
"Honestly, it's too suspicious. Unregistered tackling Mission Gates? No guild agreements. The posting doesn't mention other hunters. Who'd join this?"
"Ah."
Jeong-hyeon finally got it, letting out a realization.
'Ah?'
"Anyway, I'll be going."
Half bewildered, half bitter, Minji stood.
She'd hoped meeting in person might reveal a decent company, but total bust.
At least it wasn't a cult or scam, small mercies.
But just as she turned, Jeong-hyeon's question rang out.
Casual, unfazed tone.
"Excluding what you mentioned earlier, are the other conditions okay?"
"Huh?"
She hadn't expected it, but answered quickly.
"Of course. That's why it's famous among job seekers. Everyone calls it a scam posting."
"30% raise."
"?"
"I'll bump the salary 30%."
"What?!"
Minji yelped, glancing around at the stares.
30% raise, just like that?
But to Jeong-hyeon, it wasn't a big loss.
One Mission Gate clear per his plans, and 30% was peanuts.
With her salary pouring in, he wouldn't miss it.
No office rent meant he could afford the raise cleanly.
Plus.
"We don't have an office yet, so remote work."
"Whoa."
"Agree to work, and pay starts today."
"No way."
Dream conditions tumbling out.
Only possible for a sole proprietor—benefits unimaginable at a big corp.
Before she knew it, Minji was seated again.
Suspicious, sure—but who scams with a 30% raise?
'Looking closer...'
First impressions aside, a few things stood out.
Horizontal vibe: boss interviewing personally.
Casual clothes for comfort, considerate.
Flexible remote work over outdated office drudgery for efficiency.
Ambitious vision: Mission Gate specialist despite odds—a promising startup.
Perfect fit for a fresh grad like her.
"So, want to work with me?"
"I'll give it my all, Boss."
"Good. I'll email job details. Oh, here's my number."
No business cards, so he took her phone and entered it.
Even that struck her as frugal—employee worries off the table for now.
'Feels like looking at myself somehow...'
Was the 30% raise that decisive?
Seeing echoes of himself in her, Jeong-hyeon felt oddly sentimental.
The interview ended on a high note. Minji, proudly hired, headed home.
"Daughter, how'd the interview go?"
"Passed this time."
"Oh, wonderful! What company?"
Her flustered morning departure now a triumphant return to employee status.
Mom, usually nagging, beamed and hugged her tight.
On the company question, Minji thought then answered honestly.
"HJH Gate Office."
"Gate office? See? With your skills, small firms are easy. How's the boss? Conditions?"
Questions flew like bullets.
Normally, Minji would've stormed to her room annoyed, but not today.
She grinned, summing it up.
"Pays big."
"Ee-yup. Rest up—you must be tired. Anything you want to eat?"
In this world, that was enough.
Basked in mom's warmth, Minji flopped into her desk chair, not even changing.
'The conditions are dreamy, honestly...'
All good.
Dreamy terms, big pay.
Hunter or nearby home? By the time she got back, Jeong-hyeon's assignment email waited—routine, well-structured tasks.
Not some scam preying on clueless newbies.
But one lingering worry.
"Hope the company doesn't flop soon..."
Unregistered boss, solo Mission Gate office.
Was this even viable?
Having joined for the perks, she'd milk it dry before any crash.
A mindset matching her boss.