Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: 19. Spotlight (5)
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Kang San found himself in a rather bewildering situation.
Starting from the moment he had pulled out his phone, he carefully checked the messages one by one, piecing together the timeline of events.
[Hyung, you okay?]
[What's up with that reporter? Writing such malicious articles? Me being in your party has nothing to do with noona, but they made it sound like there's some shady connection. Hold on. I'll complain to Heavenly Firmament and get them to issue a correction somehow.]
[I'll call Dad too and see what we can do.]
Messages from Jo Han-byeol, Jeong Chan-woo, and Yeon Woo-bin, respectively.
They had led Project B Team to victory with great effort, only to be furious about the malicious article that seemed instigated by Jo Dong-jae. They knew the truth of the victory, after all. It was a righteous win for Project B Team under Kang San's guidance, with not a hint of foul play.
There was also a message from Jeong Hye-mi.
Most of it was about handling Jo Dong-jae's article, but scrolling further revealed another name.
[It's Kim Chun-sik. Don't worry about this at all. I know a reporter who'll take care of it.]
Right after that.
Kim Min-young's article went live.
He skimmed the content, and seeing it drag in the old Wangsimni incident made Kang San wipe his face awkwardly. It felt like they were gilding his image excessively. He wasn't denying the good he'd done, but it wasn't some grand act of benevolence like the article portrayed. He figured it was Kim Chun-sik making a fuss that led to this. Little did he know Kim Min-young the reporter had been tracking his activities for a while.
And finally.
[Calling regarding Master Artisan Yoo Jung-young.]
[Flare Guild would like an exclusive contract with Master Artisan Yoo Jung-young. Name any conditions you want. We'll meet them fully.]
[Please reply once you see this.]
Yoo Jung-young's statement.
It drew massive attention.
Strangers Kang San had never met before bombarded him with dozens, hundreds of messages begging for contact—somehow having gotten his number. His mind went blank. He couldn't trace where the snowball had started rolling from.
One thing was clear.
People were focusing on the name Kang San far more than he'd expected.
It wasn't a bad outcome.
Kang San had decided to reveal himself, and now momentum was pushing him into the spotlight at just the right time.
'First things first...'
He picked up his phone.
And then.
Click.
"Hello, it's been a while."
He called Yoo Jung-young.
An hour later.
Yoo Jung-young arrived at Kang San's lodging.
He'd initially planned to meet at home, but the flood of messages convinced him it wasn't wise.
Yoo Jung-young, whom he hadn't seen in ages.
Kang San cut straight to the point.
"Why did you do that?"
This whole affair.
The glory belonged entirely to Yoo Jung-young.
It was in the contract from the start, so there was no need to feel sorry toward Kang San.
If Yoo Jung-young raised his own value on behalf of the blacksmiths, Kang San stood to gain far more in absolute terms than any personal effort could yield. That was what Kang San wanted. A win-win to maximize profits for both. But Yoo Jung-young had credited part of the honor to Kang San.
Yoo Jung-young said,
"I just wanted to."
"...Pardon?"
Kang San blinked.
Just?
The Yoo Jung-young in his memory wasn't this emotional.
"After ending my secluded training and stepping out, I happened to hear about you. At first, it seemed like someone was targeting you with bad intentions, but all the good deeds you'd done without expectation came back to prove to the world who you are. Honestly, it felt strange. People were praising how great you are based just on the truth Kim Min-young revealed, but I'd received your full support too. So I acted on impulse. Per our contract, it should have looked like the rights to this technique belonged to me, but I wanted you to get even better treatment because of me. That's all. Nothing else."
Yoo Jung-young looked at Kang San.
His gaze was steady, unwavering.
"The changed situation won't cause any contract issues. I'll earn as much as possible from my position going forward, and you can enjoy wealth and fame without lifting a finger. This result isn't because I'm so great. It's because you chose me, and I won't forget that."
"...You're really putting me in a tough spot."
Kang San scratched his head.
Truth be told, it wasn't a bad situation.
His name was only mentioned as a sponsor, so he could step back and reap the benefits.
Yoo Jung-young knew that and accepted the loss anyway.
If someone sponsored and claimed rights to his technique, even if Yoo Jung-young was the sole artisan, he'd get slightly less wealth and fame. But his face showed no concern. He genuinely believed 10% was profit enough.
Kang San said,
"One thing I can say clearly right now is that I didn't choose you out of options—I had no choice. No other blacksmith could implement the technique as perfectly as you. It was a beneficial decision for both of us, so let's keep doing well together."
"I should be saying that to you."
"By the way, how's the situation unfolding now? If they're contacting me too, you must be getting flooded with offers."
"Well..."
Yoo Jung-young smiled sheepishly.
His actions.
The results he'd shown to the world had turned everything upside down.
"Things have gotten a bit bigger than expected."
Kang San received the documents.
They were compilations of offers made to Yoo Jung-young—hundreds of pages at a glance.
"Take a look."
Flip.
He checked the contents.
Eye-catching terms jumped out from the start.
[Flare Guild requests an exclusive contract with Master Artisan Yoo Jung-young. We'll pay 10 billion as a signing bonus upfront. For specifics, we'll assess the market value of your work and pay 1.5 times that amount. Flare Guild will fully guarantee your safety.]
Impressive from the get-go.
10 billion just as a signing bonus.
Not an advance, meaning Flare was willing to drop 10 billion solely to recruit him.
Considering Flare's reputation, it wasn't impossible.
If Heavenly Firmament was Korea's top management agency, Flare vied for 1st or 2nd among guilds. They immediately recognized Yoo Jung-young's value. Monopolizing him to boost item stats would yield astronomical returns.
And that was just the beginning.
[Hunter Management Bureau contacting you.]
[Heavenly Firmament contacting you.]
[Dae-yang contacting you.]
Hunter Management Bureau, various agencies.
The offers kept coming, dazzling in their generosity.
And then.
[The US government highly values Master Artisan Yoo Jung-young. If you're even slightly interested in our terms, we're prepared to do anything for you in exchange for naturalization. The US government does not lie. As the world's greatest superpower, we'll treat you accordingly.]
The US government.
Even they had reached out.
One demonstration, but everyone knew the significance of what Yoo Jung-young had shown.
Yoo Jung-young said,
"All the terms are great, one and all. Whether you pick one or go another route, I'll follow your decision completely."
Kang San reviewed the conditions carefully.
10 billion here, naturalization there.
Tempting offers, but he knew he didn't need to bite.
'All these assume monopoly as the baseline. Short-term gains might be huge, but long-term, tying to one place limits our value.'
Kang San said,
"No need to limit options with an exclusive contract. Exclude any with unclear origins, and proceed with single-project contracts for the rest."
"Single-project?"
"Yes."
Future plans.
Kang San would raise his own worth.
Single-project contracts would become a key weapon, elevating his value with every deal through competition.
"With single-project deals, those who want us will compete to bring even better terms."
What was the most pathetic situation in the management business?
Someone suddenly snatching away a target you'd poured effort into.
Heavenly Firmament Team 3.
Listening to her team member's explanation, Jeong Hye-mi suppressed her frustration.
"...We can't gauge Kang San's value conventionally right now. As a hunter alone, he's worth C-Rank or higher, but he's also proven his potential as an instructor by training Project B Team. And the issue is Master Artisan Yoo Jung-young. Because of that, Kang San has gained intangible value. Recruiting him means dominating deals with Yoo Jung-young too, so even A-Rank terms might not secure him."
"Haa-."
Jeong Hye-mi clutched her head.
A throbbing headache brought a surge of irritation.
Kang San.
She'd invested months to recruit him.
Back then, he was just an overlooked D-Rank hunter, but recent events had skyrocketed his value. Blocking the Werewolf Lord showed his potential, training Project B Team his results, and Yoo Jung-young's statement was the finishing touch. No clue how to approach recruitment now.
On top of that.
His image was stellar.
Hunters tied to marketability, and hadn't hero-maker Kim Min-young endorsed him?
'If only this had blown up later. It would've been perfect for me.'
All these issues.
If they'd arisen after signing him, she'd have ridden his wave to Heavenly Firmament's top. No point lamenting now. At least she had a head start on relationships, unlike others starting from scratch.
A favorable position.
Too early to give up.
That's when.
A team member entered the meeting room.
"Team leader! We've tracked Kang San's movements!"
"Really? Where?"
She shot to her feet.
Planning to rush to him immediately.
Seeing her reaction, the team member wore a complicated expression.
"Problem is, he's at the promotion exam site right now."
"What?"
Promotion exam site?
Caught off guard, Jeong Hye-mi's eyes went wide.