Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: A Deceptive Offer
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“This just proves it again. One big hit is way better than a hundred small jabs. A 55 million won deal right after the broadcast, and for their very first ad, no less. To our Answer, of all groups. Wow. Let’s give a round of applause for all of Min-jun’s hard work.”
As CEO Park Jae-yong clapped for me, the Director and Manager Ji also unreservedly praised my efforts.
But I couldn’t accept it with a happy heart.
The ominous feeling emanating from the proposal was suffocating me.
“He’s a genius, a real genius. Writes great songs, is already producing, lands great deals, and has a knack for planning. It’s like he’s living his second life, I tell you.”
I deflected CEO Park Jae-yong’s praise with a bitter smile and examined the proposal more deeply.
If I focused this hard, shouldn’t a third eye or something open up and show me what’s wrong?
“He doesn’t even rejoice at the praise, just professionally scrutinizing the contract for any toxic clauses for our members. How cool is that, our Min-jun.”
CEO Park Jae-yong continued to praise me, but this was no time to celebrate.
“This is truly groundbreaking. 55 million won for a one-year contract. And all they have to do is travel cheerfully, dine elegantly, and purchase luxury items. There are no stipulations that could possibly tarnish their image. At this rate, it’s more like Answer is getting a free ride on Quarter Membership’s coattails for promotional effect.”
Manager Ji said in admiration as he flipped through the proposal.
“Director Sun, you think it’s okay too?”
“…Honestly, the terms are so good it’s worrying.”
I instinctively nodded at the Director’s words.
“Isn’t that just their foresight regarding Answer’s potential? But why is our Min-jun the only one looking so serious?”
“……”
“…We have less than an hour. Director Sun, please convey our intent to discuss the detailed contract…”
“We can’t do it!”
“What?”
At my words, CEO Park Jae-yong and Manager Ji stared at me as if I were absurd, while the Director’s eyes filled with curiosity.
Team Leader Lee, in particular, turned red at the ears, looking like he was about to shout at any moment.
The mention of a membership card that gives an extra 25% in points on top of a pre-payment had reminded me of a Ponzi scheme that would happen in the near future.
It was an outrageous incident that had dominated the national news for a while, causing widespread damage to both users and affiliated businesses.
“What do you mean, we can’t?”
“It’s not possible, logically speaking.”
“…Min-jun, you might not know, but a lot of people are using this these days.”
“Just because many people use it doesn’t mean its stability has been verified.”
“Ah… seriously, hey! You think you’re hot stuff now, huh? Have you lost your mind?”
Team Leader Lee exploded in anger, yet no one stopped him. My words must have sounded that ridiculous.
“Haha, well now…”
CEO Park Jae-yong opened his phone and showed me his screen.
It was the app for that very point membership.
No wonder he was all smiles.
“I thought it was a scam at first too, but you can actually use it. The number of affiliates is growing, too. I heard they’re even partnering with a bank soon.”
“See? Is the bank crazy? You think they’d team up with scammers?”
Team Leader Lee didn’t miss the chance to berate me again.
I think the user base must have exploded right after they partnered with those large corporations.
How could I explain this to the CEO?
“There was a time when this kind of Ponzi scheme targeted the entire nation… It was named after Charles Ponzi…”
“Don’t pretend you know what you’re talking about when you barely…”
Just as I was about to search on my phone, unable to recall the exact incident where the whole nation was scammed, the Director let out a small gasp and spoke up.
“Albania. After the fall of communism, Albania, with no experience in capitalism, relied on a few multi-level marketing companies, and its people jumped into high-yield dividend investments.”
“……?”
We were all once again surprised by the Director’s vast knowledge. Team Leader Lee, in particular, looked awkward and shut his mouth.
I knew she read a lot of books, but she really knew about everything.
“It was good at first, they say. Money started circulating in a dirt-poor country, so they must have thought it was their way out. Eventually, over 60% of the entire population poured their life savings into it, and the result was, well.”
“…And so?”
CEO Park Jae-yong seemed curious about what happened next.
“The people, who had no concept of economics, didn’t even know what bankruptcy was. Even as the collapse began, they didn’t withdraw their money from the banks. Just like that, the entire nation became destitute overnight. And it wasn’t that long ago, either. It was in ‘97.”
“Whoa. That’s when I was deep in my music studies.”
“It caused a civil war, and neighboring countries had to intervene to barely calm things down. That’s all I know.”
The Director leaned back in her chair, breathing heavily as if she had poured out everything she knew.
“Wow… our Director Sun is really… amazing.”
“Oh, CEO-nim. Of course. Back when she was active, our Director would be reading books while all the other kids were sleeping.”
CEO Park Jae-yong and Manager Ji, forgetting the purpose of the meeting, began to praise the Director.
Our Director is pretty amazing.
Let’s get back to the point.
“In any case, I really don’t think this is it.”
“……”
“We can’t just think of it as a simple 25%. I don’t know how much the credit card transaction fees are, but let’s assume the total overhead is 30%. If you charge one million won, it becomes 1.3 million won.”
“Hmm…”
CEO Park Jae-yong’s expression turned serious, as if he’d had a realization after hearing the story about Albania. The deflated Team Leader Lee remained silent as a mouse.
“I did a quick search for their affiliated stores, and it says the discount can be used on top of other sales.”
“You’re fast… When did you look that up?”
CEO Park Jae-yong remarked, surprised.
“Applying another 30% discount on an item that’s already 30% off—this doesn’t seem normal to me.”
“That’s right. A double discount would make it 40% off the original price. It’s not like they’re digging up money to run a business. Of course that’s a serious loss.”
The Director demonstrated her quick calculation skills.
“I can already hear the outcry from people who sign up after seeing Answer’s ad. In one fell swoop, Answer will be completely ruined. In the worst-case scenario, their personal safety could even be at risk.”
“…Hearing it like that, it makes sense. I think we need to be cautious.”
Manager Ji said, nodding at me, while Team Leader Lee’s face contorted in misery.
“I’m just going to the restroom for a moment…”
No one cared whether Team Leader Lee left or not.
I told you not to push it. Keep crossing the line, and I won’t go easy on you.
“If you still don’t believe me, I’ll ask a reporter I know to look into it. He’s a fan of Answer, so he’ll go out of his way to help.”
Just because someone is an entertainment reporter doesn’t mean they only write entertainment articles. Scoops aren’t just obtained through stakeouts; they’re the result of information gathered from various connections.
Especially a reporter like Shin Dong-min, who used to be in the political news department, would have access to fast information channels.
“You’re talking about Shin Dong-min, right?”
“Yes.”
I had forgotten he’d mentioned being acquainted with CEO Park Jae-yong.
“Alright, then. Let’s look at other ad proposals first.”
I was relieved that my words had gotten through.
“While Min Timjang is on the phone, I’ll go make some coffee.”
I immediately called reporter Shin Dong-min.
The sooner this got out to the media, the more we could prevent the number of victims from growing. Once a major bank became an affiliate, the amount invested per person would increase exponentially.
The call connected before the first ring had even finished.
-Oh, Timjang-nim! I enjoyed the show so much.
“Yes. Hello, Reporter-nim.”
-Did you see the comments on my article? The reaction to Answer was incredible, too. I went ahead and swiped away any comments that might have been harmful to the members. Hahaha!
Reporter Shin Dong-min, assuming I had called about the Answer article, chattered on cheerfully.
I explained the reason for my call.
-What? That’s a total Ponzi scheme.
“We thought so too, so we’re going to reject the ad offer.”
-Oh, you made the right call. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean it’s safe.
“Anyway, I’ve given you the source, so I’ll hang up now. I’m in the middle of a meeting.”
-Oh my. I haven’t even done anything great for you yet, and you keep helping me out. Thank you so much. I’ll be sure to repay this kindness, you hear?
The die was cast.
If a problem was found, a scoop would break immediately.
I had done my best to prevent the damage from spreading.
* * *
“We still have about a 10-minute wait. Seol-ah, you can get your hair done first, and the rest of you can take a little break.”
The salon was more crowded than usual, perhaps because of a wedding photoshoot, so there weren’t enough seats.
Although it operated on a strict reservation basis, there were always exceptions.
“Seul-bi, would you like some toast?”
“Oh! Yes, please! I’d love some!”
“Me too!”
At the salon staff’s words, Seul-bi and Yi-na answered happily.
“Lee Seul-bi, just a little, okay? You too, Yi-na.”
“No worries! Ro-si, let’s go.”
“Huh?”
Ro-si was dragged away by Seul-bi before she knew what was happening.
“Sugar, yes?”
“Yes!”
“Okay.”
*Sizzle.*
As the toast began to cook in the makeup salon, Ro-si’s eyes widened.
“The toast here beats most famous spots, hands down.”
“Really?”
The savory sound of scallions and eggs cooking filled Ro-si with anticipation.
“Want me to tell you the secret?”
“Beep! Correct!”
“You know?”
“Soy sauce caramelization!”
“Wow! Seul-bi, that’s amazing. How do you know things like that?”
The staff member looked at Seul-bi with wonder for getting the right answer.
“This unni is a total foodie. All she does is watch food videos on—Ouch! You pig!”
Seul-bi’s finger poked Yi-na in the ribs.
“You sure you want to take me on?”
Seul-bi raised both her hands, fingers pointed, and glared at Yi-na.
“Ugh… It’s true you’re a foodie—Ack! Okay! Okay! I surrender!”
Seul-bi had only taken one step closer, but Yi-na freaked out and hid behind Ro-si.
“If Ro-si wasn’t here, I would’ve just poke-poke-poked you!”
Seul-bi made rapid jabbing motions at various parts of her body, and Yi-na stuck out her tongue.
“Here are the first two.”
The staff placed the scallion and egg toast on a plate, sprinkled with translucent sugar.
“Ro-si, you try it first. Ah!”
“Ahh.”
The sight of Seul-bi feeding Ro-si a piece of toast didn’t look awkward at all.
“…Mmm! It’s delicious!”
“Right? It’s not just any egg toast, is it?”
“Uh-huh!”
Seol-ah, who was in the middle of getting her hair done, watched her younger members through the gap in the entrance with a very warm smile.
‘This is something I couldn’t have even imagined back with Team Leader Park.’
The sudden memory of Team Leader Park sent a shiver down her spine, but the smile of the makeup artist styling her hair made the chilling past melt away like snow.
“You’re just staring at your members. Are they that pretty to you?”
“Yes. They’ve all been through a lot. Much more than the industry average.”
“Seol-ah, you have a pretty face and a pretty heart.”
“Not at all. I used to throw a lot of fits, too.”
Seol-ah smiled wryly.
“Right! More importantly, Seol-ah, how are you so good at singing? I was so surprised.”
“Thank you.”
Seol-ah replied, pleased.
“Yeah, the singing was great, but your acting was killer. How did you make the same instrumental sound like a completely different song? Wow, seriously, my abs hurt from laughing.”
A staff member setting up tools nearby chimed in.
“The team leader who was here earlier came up with the concept for us.”
“That manager? He’s not just good-looking, he’s got a great sense of style too?”
Seol-ah wanted to boast more about Min-jun, but she remembered his words asking her to keep his producing role a secret and clamped her mouth shut.
“He’s not just about visuals and sense, either. Remember when he stood up to Your Girl’s current manager? That gangster-like guy.”
“Oh! Now that you mention it, that manager was Answer’s former manager!”
“They’re at different companies, right? Did he switch over?”
As the topic of conversation suddenly shifted to Team Leader Park, a bitter memory, a sigh escaped Seol-ah’s lips.
‘But I’m not scared anymore. I’ll definitely succeed… succeed and…’
She wanted to succeed and get revenge on the demonic Team Leader Park, but she couldn’t think of a specific method of revenge.
‘Just succeeding and living well seems like it would be revenge enough.’
Seol-ah smirked, imagining a glamorous Answer on stage.
“Seol-ah Seonbae-nim, hello! We’re Safety, the rookie group from GSP Enter.”
As Seol-ah was lost in thought, a 7-member rookie girl group from a small agency, who had approached without her noticing, greeted her.
‘Just one appearance on a competition show and our recognition has changed this much?’
Suddenly, her own erased past, when she had gained some fame through a public audition, felt bitter.
Looking at the girls, who were around Yi-na and Seul-bi’s age, Seol-ah was reminded of the mistreatment they had endured from their own seniors.
“Oh, hey. You’re all so pretty. I bet you’ll be very popular.”
“Th-thank you! Seonbae-nim! We watched the broadcast the day before yesterday. You were so amazing and we really respect you!”
Seol-ah felt a pang of sympathy for these girls, who would be thrown out into the world with no experience if they failed here.
“It’s tough, isn’t it?”
“Not at all!”
“It will be. But hold on tight. Make sure you succeed and repay your families.”
“Yes, yes!”
“Safety, fighting!”
“Thank you!”
“Um… Seonbae-nim, I’ve watched you since your public audition. I’m a huge fan…”
A cute, round-faced girl with a bob cut spoke up hesitantly.
Seol-ah thought of her own past and gave a maternal smile.
“Are you a vocalist?”
“Ah! Yes!”
The girl answered, her voice filled with elation.
“Want to take a picture with me?”
“Oh! Thank you so much!”
“I’m not even that famous yet. Thanks.”
“No way! Unni, you’re super famous! I bet there wasn’t a single person who didn’t watch Best Idol the other day! You were truly amazing!”
The junior’s excitement made Seol-ah feel good as well.
‘I guess the level of focus is different between the general public watching a performance and rookies watching with longing in their eyes.’
“But I haven’t done my makeup yet, so I’ll cover my eyes, okay?”
“Ah, wait, wait. Seol-ah, I know you’re pretty, but let’s at least put on some lipstick.”
The makeup artist quickly painted her lips.
In the end, Seol-ah took a picture with the girl, covering her eyes with her index and middle fingers.
“Wow! Thank you! Your cat-like red lips are so pretty.”
Seol-ah smiled fondly at the girl’s effusiveness.
“The rest of the members are over there, so go say hi.”
“Seonbae-nim, we really, really respect you!”
The emotional girls bowed deeply and trotted over to where Seul-bi, Ro-si, and Yi-na were.
“Heh. Seol-ah, feels like you suddenly became a great senior, huh? That’s awesome.”
“Sorry for getting ahead of myself.”
“Hey! You know that’s not what I meant! It’s because you’re so warm to the rookies, it’s lovely to see!”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“‘Ma’am’ feels weird now, too. We’ve known each other for a while. Let’s just say Unni. Huh? We’d like to have a rising star for a little sister, you know?”
“Okay.”
Seol-ah laughed pleasantly with the staff.
The hastily drawn lip line reflected in the mirror felt prettier than usual.