Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: 21. Recruitment War (2)
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Im Chan-young's face was stained with embarrassment.
Over the past several years, he'd used "contract termination" as an excuse to threaten them countless times, but they'd never reacted like this before. Thinking about it, it made sense. He was a 13-year-old genius they'd scouted for a whopping 10 billion. With his limitless potential ahead, Great Ocean Management had always yielded whenever trouble arose.
But now.
The situation had changed.
His embarrassed expression twisted into rage in an instant.
"...Are you messing with me right now? You, a mere team leader, think you can terminate my contract—the one worth 10 billion?"
He shot to his feet.
His face flushed bright red.
Goo Jun-ho calmly picked up his phone, watching Im Chan-young struggle to contain his fury.
"I finished discussing it with upper management on the way here. 10 billion, right. An enormous sum. Great Ocean has every reason to hold onto you, but the problem is... the person I see as my top recruitment priority, Mr. Kang San, doesn't get along with you at all."
"Kang San? This ridiculous situation is all because of that guy?"
"Exactly. It's partly Great Ocean's management lapse, but coincidentally, around the time you were scouted, you joined a raid that included Mr. Kang San. You didn't hold back on the insults then, and now there's friction from the test too. From his perspective, your presence must be a real thorn in his side. We're trying to address that upfront. In the management market, recruitment opportunities don't come twice. If we're negotiating terms with Mr. Kang San and your presence sours the mood, it won't help to close the barn door after the horse is gone. If we can say from the start—with complete sincerity—that we've cleared out anyone he might dislike, wouldn't he see us in a better light?"
"...You're insane. So you're saying you'll ditch me first, even when recruitment isn't a sure thing? No, who the hell is that guy anyway? Even if he passed the B-Rank test, I'm still in my late teens, and he's mid-twenties. I have more potential, and you've already invested 10 billion in me. Ditching me to recruit him? That doesn't make any sense."
He shouted at the top of his lungs.
It defied common sense.
But Im Chan-young and Goo Jun-ho valued things differently.
Goo Jun-ho spoke up.
"If it were just a regular B-Rank hunter, sure. The issue is the intangible value we can gain from Master Craftsman Yoo Jung-young. Securing her cooperation alone would be worth more than 10 billion, and Mr. Kang San has proven his talent as a hunter too. When weighing you against him for Great Ocean's needs, I chose him, that's all."
"Fuck..."
Im Chan-young was at a loss for words.
He had nothing to say.
Goo Jun-ho pressed on with his thoughts, regardless of Im Chan-young's reaction.
"Of course, we can't just cut loose someone we've invested 10 billion in. You have two options. First: Find yourself a new home willing to pay at least part of a transfer fee. If they offer satisfactory terms, I'll terminate the contract on the spot. Second: Spend a meaningless year without Great Ocean's support until your contract expires and you walk free. At your sensitive growth stage, the second option wouldn't be ideal for you."
His expression shifted.
In this capitalist world, Goo Jun-ho wasn't exactly a nice guy.
"So, take your time to think it over and choose. Isn't it time you started shaping your own future?"
BAM!
Im Chan-young stormed out.
His junior, watching the whole thing, looked worried as he left without a backward glance.
"...If we've crushed his ego this time, couldn't we just keep him? He's still Im Chan-young, after all."
"No. That won't do."
Goo Jun-ho shook his head.
His junior had a point.
A tamed Im Chan-young—a late teen who'd reached B-Rank—would still be worth the effort. But Goo Jun-ho's recruitment philosophy wouldn't allow it.
"I believe that when people get greedy, they end up losing everything they tried to grasp with both hands. From what I've seen of Kang San, he's more resolute and calculating than he seems. Normal people would lose their minds at offers from Great Ocean or Heavenly Firmament, but Mr. Kang San never has—not once. Is it because he lacks material desires? No. He listens to proposals but leaves room, keeping just enough distance to make us aware of each other. That means he knows competition drives up his value."
It wasn't speculation.
Goo Jun-ho was a veteran of the management scene.
Dealing with countless people had taught him that timing was everything in recruiting someone like Kang San.
"In this business, half-measures don't exist. If I desperately want someone, I have to prepare the absolute best conditions to sign them. That's why, when I confirmed the bad blood between Im Chan-young and Mr. Kang San, I put them on the scales and valued Kang San higher. By making Im Chan-young find his own new home, I minimize losses while creating the perfect setup to recruit Mr. Kang San. Even if it fails, it's no real loss. As Master Craftsman Yoo said, just maintaining a good relationship with him secures some priority anyway."
Slide.
He handed something over.
A document the rookie had brought— one the junior hadn't seen.
"This is...?"
"See for yourself."
"Yes, sir."
The junior took the document and scanned it. His eyes went wide as he looked up.
"Is this real?"
"Yes. As of yesterday, all three people traveling with Mr. Kang San passed their promotion exams. Jung Chan-woo and Jo Han-byeol to C-Rank, and Yeon Woo-bin—a whopping B-Rank. Fun fact: Yeon Woo-bin's the same age as Im Chan-young, late teens. Now, let me ask you something."
He turned.
Facing his junior, Goo Jun-ho grinned widely.
"If we bring Mr. Kang San to Great Ocean, where do you think these three unaffiliated folks will transfer? That's why I decided it's worth betting everything on this, even ditching Im Chan-young."
At that moment.
Jung Hye-mi was at a café.
She was finally meeting Kang San, but unlike usual, she seemed a bit tense.
'Has Heavenly Firmament ever been in this kind of underdog position? At least not in the last few years.'
Master Craftsman Yoo Jung-young's endorsement.
The B-Rank promotion.
And just moments ago, she'd heard about Yeon Woo-bin and the other two's promotions too.
His value had skyrocketed again.
With competitors swarming, Jung Hye-mi had to leverage her first-mover advantage aggressively.
That's when it happened.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?"
"No, I just got here myself."
Kang San arrived.
As he sat across from her, Jung Hye-mi exchanged brief updates before cutting to the chase.
"The real reason I wanted to meet is because I'd like to bring you to Heavenly Firmament. I planned to pitch it right after Project B Team's match, but so much has changed in that short time—it's like the world flipped upside down. You can't just label Mr. Kang San a simple 'B-Rank' hunter anymore. Direct promotion from F-Rank to B-Rank in under a year. Knowledge deep enough to lead Project B Team to victory. A positive public image highlighted even in Kim Min-young's articles. And patronage from Master Craftsman Yoo Jung-young. If we stupidly offered a standard B-Rank proposal, Heavenly Firmament wouldn't hold the title of Korea's top management."
Slide.
She handed over the contract.
The figures on it were eye-catching strings of zeros.
"Signing bonus: 10 billion. Not an offset—pure signing money. Detailed terms are at S-Rank level. This is my sincerity. In Heavenly Firmament's history—or Korea's management history—no B-Rank hunter has ever gotten an offer like this."
"Impressive, for sure. Isn't this pushing it even for Heavenly Firmament?"
"To be honest, it's a package we couldn't justify on externals alone. So I went toe-to-toe with Heavenly Firmament's master, vouching that Mr. Kang San will definitely reach A-Rank or higher. I can't promise S-Rank transcendence, but your skills in the B-Rank test were just a matter of time—technically on par with any A-Rank. And above all, I like people like you. Those unseen good deeds for others... I want Heavenly Firmament to reward them properly."
First and foremost.
She targeted the first-mover edge.
The contract she offered was better than anything else he'd encounter later.
Jung Hye-mi met his gaze.
"What do you say to Heavenly Firmament's offer?"
Kang San let the moment hang.
He took a few sips of his steaming tea, set the cup down, and met Jung Hye-mi's eyes.
"Truth be told, I'm a bit of an unlucky guy. I may be in a position to get recruitment offers from giants like Heavenly Firmament now, but as my Arrow Sponge F-Rank history proves, it's been a rough road. Late bloomer awakening to F-Rank. Bouncing between arrow-sponge gigs, losing comrades who were like family in the moment. Scraping by day to day, nearly dying to an F-Rank ogre at 25. Know what that means?"
"That you've suffered a lot?"
"Yes. For someone who's collapsed countless times to reach this spot, it's no fluke."
His eyes sharpened.
Kang San's aura captivated Jung Hye-mi.
"Team Leader, my words might sound arrogant, but the world's current evaluation of me is still lacking. I'll keep growing. A-Rank promotion is a given—maybe even S-Rank, unprecedented for an F-Rank starter. And above all, any group that has me will gain irreplaceable prestige. That's the life I'll live, so your current offers mean nothing to me."
No empty words.
No hubris.
The trials ahead.
Overcoming them would ensure his growth.
And the forced good deeds through those trials would bring irreplaceable fame, just as he'd said.
He spoke the truth.
But unlike his hidden past,
he chose to reveal his path forward.
"I haven't considered proposals because without showing you my envisioned future, even high evaluations fall short of my standards. Starting with this meeting, I'll meet everyone who wants me one by one. And to them, I'll make the same pitch as here."
"...What pitch?"
"The next six months. I'll show you how far I can grow. I'll make this contract—not unprecedented for a B-Rank, but insultingly inadequate for someone truly qualified. Once I've proven myself enough, I'll decide based on who moves my heart."
He left room.
Six months from now.
When the S-Rank outbreak hit, Kang San would decide his affiliation if he survived.
So he set the stage.
Maximizing his value.
"That's my conclusion."