Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Again, Writer 109
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“One thing I’m curious about. How large is Manbai’s user base?”
The two characters were familiar to his generation, and since they’d come flying into his email so boldly, it wasn’t hard to read them.
That was why Jo Jin-gu naturally brought up the name Manbai as he cautiously asked.
“To be honest, it falls a bit short of being Taiwan’s top platform. But I think it ranks within the top three.”
“Impressive.”
“Haha. It’s the achievement of all our hardworking staff.”
He praised on the surface, but Jo Jin-gu’s mind was racing.
In Taiwan, with a population of about 23.5 million, holding the third-largest platform meant the market potential was far from poor.
Web novels were growing rapidly not just in Korea, but in China and Taiwan as well.
The potential was more than sufficient—it was overflowing.
‘If we can get in first and stake our claim…’
Jo Jin-gu’s eyes sparkled.
The advantages of being first were beyond words.
Of course, he couldn’t expect the level of profits he was imagining right away.
Frontier Management simply didn’t have enough content yet.
‘But if we can imprint the Frontier Management brand, everything after that will be smooth sailing.’
Jo Jin-gu’s smile deepened.
It sounded like a pipe dream now, but with effort, it could absolutely become reality.
With that, Jo Jin-gu quickly finished his calculations.
“Oh, and one more thing I’m curious about.”
“Ask away. I’ll tell you anything that’s not a company secret.”
“How did you come across Woo Ji-hyun’s works?”
Jo Jin-gu composed his expression as he asked.
Kakao Page was rapidly dominating the web novel market, but that was still limited to Korea.
They might be thinking about overseas expansion internally, but for now, they were focused domestically.
And the webtoon and novel for God of Martial Arts, Return were exclusively serialized on Kakao Page.
“It’s a bit embarrassing, but Woo Ji-hyun’s works first spread through piracy. A Korean-speaking international student translated pirated files without permission and shared them with friends. From what we’ve looked into privately, it started with Maestro on the Field. And it’s continued all the way to God of Martial Arts, Return.”
“Did Manbai Publishing view the works illegally as well?”
“No. We checked them out on Kakao Page. As someone in publishing, we couldn’t commit such an unethical act.”
Feng Weiyan waved his hands in a fluster.
As if to say they’d never done such a thing.
And Jo Jin-gu didn’t press further.
He knew well that piracy couldn’t be completely eradicated, no matter the methods used.
That didn’t mean they should just let it be, though.
“Shall we get into the main discussion, then?”
“Sounds good.”
He’d gotten a clear sense of Manbai Publishing’s intentions.
But that didn’t mean a deal was sealed.
Contracts fell through if the terms didn’t align.
So Jo Jin-gu discussed the contract in earnest, his face serious.
“Chinese in the office? That’s wild.”
“I’m more shocked that Assistant Manager Yeom speaks Chinese so well.”
“Fair.”
Two heads peeked up by the conference room window.
It was Lee Ji-seong and Jang Yu-ri, the youngest members of the webtoon team.
But the two weren’t alone by the window wall.
Lee Hye-seong and Ha Jong-su were also peeking into the conference room, looking a bit awkward.
“They really came.”
“Could this lead to exports? Isn’t it exclusive with Kakao Page?”
“But the exclusivity is only domestic. The boss said the contract doesn’t cover overseas.”
“If the deal goes through, does that mean the webtoon I drew goes overseas?”
“You’re going overseas too. Technically with Ji-hyun hyung and Ji-seong.”
Ha Jong-su looked at Lee Hye-seong with feigned envy.
He was helping out, but the mains were undeniably the Lee siblings.
That was why Ha Jong-su envied Lee Hye-seong so much.
A career as an overseas-exported webtoon artist was practically nonexistent right now.
“Strictly speaking, I’m just tagging along. The original creator is Ji-hyun hyung. Still, it feels a little weird thinking my drawings will be seen in Taiwan.”
“I’d be happy even as a tag-along if my name could go next to ‘art’.”
“Why not just add it?”
“Might not work? We’re on the same team, but I’m just support. You and Ji-seong are the mains.”
Lee Hye-seong stroked her chin.
They’d started it with her brother, but now Ha Jong-su and Jang Yu-ri were contributing a lot too.
Especially in building up the stockpile—they’d helped the most there—so she was inwardly conflicted.
“Given Ji-hyun hyung’s personality, he’d probably add it if you asked. He knows how much you and Yu-ri put in.”
“…Should I ask?”
Ha Jong-su opened his mouth, tempted.
Even he thought Woo Ji-hyun’s personality might allow it casually.
“But first, the deal has to go through, right?”
“Hmm!”
Lee Hye-seong grinned mischievously at Ha Jong-su’s overly expectant face.
Then she turned to watch Jo Jin-gu negotiating seriously inside.
“Overseas is great and all, but is he really a publisher employee? Could be a scammer.”
“A scammer fluent in Chinese? But he looks totally Taiwanese.”
“You can find Koreans who look like that if you look hard enough.”
Unlike the two chattering about credits, Lee Ji-seong stared into the conference room with suspicion, her earlier curiosity gone.
Specifically, she stared piercingly at the half-bald Feng Weiyan.
Overseas expansion and big money were nice, but she hadn’t forgotten the essentials.
Even the best contract was worthless with a scammer.
“You’ve got a point.”
“The world’s full of bad actors these days. Just because they email and speak Chinese doesn’t make them legit.”
“True.”
Jang Yu-ri found herself convinced by Lee Ji-seong without realizing it.
There wasn’t a single wrong word.
“We need to verify and double-verify. Better safe than sorry.”
“But we can’t tell them that now.”
“They’re not stamping the deal right this second. It’s not a small contract. And with the boss’s personality, even if talks go great, he won’t sign on the spot. He’ll deliberate and decide. So we speak up then.”
“As expected from someone directly involved. You’re so thorough.”
Jang Yu-ri gave a strange look at Lee Ji-seong’s meticulous demeanor.
Maybe because it involved her directly, but she seemed even more detail-oriented.
“Of course. It affects us all—my brother, me, everyone.”
“Huh?”
“You’re on the team too. You help out here and there. So it’s ‘us’.”
“Uh…”
Jang Yu-ri’s expression turned odd.
It was hard to tell if she was smiling or about to cry.
But the emotion in her eyes was clearly moved.
“So don’t talk like it’s someone else’s business, Yu-ri.”
“Yeah.”
Jang Yu-ri nodded, touched.
Lee Ji-seong flashed a grin, then focused back on the conference room beyond the window.
* * *
Scritch. Scratch scratch.
As usual, sitting before his monitor and tapping away at the keyboard, Woo Ji-hyun suddenly scowled.
Then he dug at his ear with his left index finger.
“Someone must be talking about me. Why’s it so itchy?”
Woo Ji-hyun grimaced and scratched his ear at the sudden itchiness.
But even without any wax, his ear kept itching.
“They say left ear means curses.”
Muttering as he scratched his oddly itchy left ear, Woo Ji-hyun didn’t seem too bothered.
He wasn’t the type to care if others badmouthed him.
Unless it was right in his face.
“I wonder if the talks are going well.”
He’d heard from Min A-rang that visitors from Taiwan were coming to the Frontier Management office today, so he muttered to himself.
His expression turned newly intrigued.
He’d never even considered overseas expansion, not even a speck.
He’d only dreamed big of succeeding as a writer and becoming a landlord.
“But lyricist and now overseas? Wild. My words translated and going abroad.”
Genre novels like Solar Sculptor, Rune’s Little Ones, Dragon Friend, and others had been translated and published overseas surprisingly often.
With decent sales too.
Rune’s Little Ones had done particularly well in Taiwan.
So in a way, their interest in God of Martial Arts, Return made sense.
“Hope it works out. Awards are better the more you get.”
Manbai Publishing seemed most keen on the webtoon, which was intuitively accessible.
Which meant not just Woo Ji-hyun, but the whole webtoon team would be going overseas.
“Those kids. Overseas at 22 and 21? I’m so jealous. I debuted at 20 and bombed every release.”
They weren’t the protagonists, but the webtoon team would gain plenty.
At least a unique line on their resumes.
So Woo Ji-hyun muttered, thinking back to his own 22 and 21.
Ding dong!
Then the doorbell rang suddenly.
A clear, nostalgic chime pierced the house.
“Yes!”
Reacting on instinct, Woo Ji-hyun jumped from his chair and dashed to the door.
Wondering who it could be.
Delivery guy came to mind first, but they usually called ahead, so he hurried over with a tilt of his head.
“Who is it?”
“It’s your neighbor.”
“Yes?”
Woo Ji-hyun’s face filled with bewilderment at the unexpected voice from beyond the door.
But even flustered, he opened it.
“Good, you’re home.”
“Oh, yeah. I usually work from home. What brings you here?”
The door revealed the former Big Bang video rental shop owner.
Complete with an apron.
Woo Ji-hyun was surprised again but politely asked her reason.
“Hehe. I made too much food. My hands are heavy—I cook without thinking and end up with leftovers. Then I remembered you live alone, Ji-hyun.”
“Ah.”
Woo Ji-hyun stared blankly at the pot thrust toward his chest, unable to hide his surprise.
The lid was sealed tight, but his sensitive nose instantly identified the contents.
“It’s just extras from cooking, so no pressure. Or bring something back next time.”
“I’ll enjoy it gratefully.”
“Hehe. Take care, then.”
“Yes, you too.”
She came and went like the wind, and Woo Ji-hyun belatedly bowed his head.
Only realizing at parting that he hadn’t even greeted her properly.
With an inexplicable expression, Woo Ji-hyun gazed down at the pot in his hands.