Chapter 152
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Invitation
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"Don't you have any booze here?"
"...At least not in my café."
"Hmph. Then brew me some strong coffee. It's rude to leave a guest with nothing."
"I think greeting guests with your feet on the table is pretty rude too."
"I'll handle that rudeness. You just do your job as the boss, Manager Jeong."
"...Fine."
"Ah, sunbae-nim. Could I get an Americano too...?"
"Brew it yourself, you punk!"
"..."
An ambitious PD from the broadcasting world.
A surveillance agent disguised as a café employee.
A violent offender exuding a murderous aura.
...Unfortunately, none of that was the case.
There was only a café owner diligently serving coffee and a PD from a small broadcasting station shrinking after getting an earful from him.
Yeonhwa felt a sense of futility wondering why she'd come to this dump so tensely.
What snapped her back to reality was Rimon's nonchalant voice.
"Sorry about that. These guys are awkward at this kind of thing since it's their first time."
'You seem just as awkward.'
The black-haired young man greeting her with his feet on the table treated her less like a guest and more like... well, not even like a person.
Yeonhwa swallowed the words that had risen to her throat upon seeing him.
Because her instincts told her one thing.
This cocky young man was the one who'd sent Mun Cheonyeop to the hospital and summoned her here.
"No need for apologies. Can we get straight to the point?"
"You're quite impatient."
"It's urgent."
To avoid getting swept up in the atmosphere, Yeonhwa cut straight to it.
And she addressed Rimon directly, staring him in the eye.
"First, I have a few questions."
"Shoot."
"Why do you think I'd accept your proposal?"
"What's so hard about that?"
Rimon chuckled leisurely.
"A mere manager for a singer being called the guild's real power player? That only happens if you're directly connected to Midas."
"What does that matter? The benefits go to the whole WIM guild anyway."
"In exchange, your power as guild master got diluted. That bastard probably acted like he owned the place."
"..."
"And from what I know, nine out of ten bosses can't stand being sidelined from power more than they care about the organization's gain."
Yeonhwa fell silent.
It wasn't just because he'd hit the nail on the head.
It was because he'd pinpointed the subtle power dynamics between her and Mun Cheonyeop—known only to insiders at WIM.
'How can someone so young give off this vibe?'
He looked like just a cocky guy in his twenties.
Not like a sly politician.
Not like an old hunter or a beast.
For a moment, she gazed at Rimon with unknowable eyes, sensing his indescribable aura.
Then she finally spoke.
"Fine. Then tell me how you plan to take out Mun Cheonyeop."
"Hm? Questions over already?"
"I can tell you're not one for bullshit, so that's enough."
"Refreshing. I like it."
As if pleased to skip the tedious back-and-forth.
Rimon nodded, sipped the coffee Manager Jeong had brought, and continued.
"It's nothing grand. While that bastard's out of commission, you just take his spot."
"...You called me all the way here just to tell me that?"
"What, you think you can't?"
"If I could, I'd have gotten rid of Mun Cheonyeop ages ago. But because of Claire, it's impossible."
Yeonhwa couldn't hide her disappointment.
Claire: a duke-level player in her 80s and a singer at the peak of popularity.
She was WIM's flagship star, and it was thanks to her that Mun Cheonyeop had forged close ties with Midas Guild.
So as long as Claire didn't change her mind, squeezing into Mun Cheonyeop and Midas's connection was tough.
"Why is that a problem?"
"You mean persuade Claire? Sorry, but that's..."
"No, why cling to this Claire or whatever she is?"
"Pardon?"
To the puzzled Yeonhwa, Rimon said matter-of-factly.
"What matters is whether you can offer Midas more profit than that bastard."
"...You're saying I should out-earn Mun Cheonyeop through Claire for Midas? Without Claire?"
"Exactly."
"Do you even realize how absurd that sounds?"
Yeonhwa was dumbfounded.
Whether as a singer or a player.
Claire was the pillar of WIM, responsible for over half the guild's total revenue alone.
Considering her fame and influence, even more so.
Outdoing her to monopolize Midas's connection?
Even cooking the books to siphon off all of WIM's revenue would be hard, and Yeonhwa had no intention of doing that anyway.
But Rimon hadn't summoned her without a plan.
"Don't worry. That's why PD Kim here exists."
"Me?"
Kim Seungjun, who'd been watching nervously, panicked at suddenly being singled out.
Rimon gave him a meaningful smile.
"PD Kim, you said you're prepping a program, right?"
"Music Challenge?"
"Yeah. Mind if I use it?"
"You'll appear on my show!?"
"No, just use it."
"Pardon?"
Kim Seungjun brightened, forgetting the situation after Rimon's words—ignoring his casting requests until now—then looked baffled.
To the confused pair, Rimon calmly explained how he'd use the program.
At first, Yeonhwa was skeptical.
Then confused.
Finally, incredulous.
As her expressions shifted rapidly, she let out a hollow laugh once Rimon finished.
"You really think this insane plan could work?"
"Of course."
His response was so brazen it bordered on shameless, making Yeonhwa look at him like he'd lost his mind.
Rimon chuckled at her and turned away.
"PD Kim, does my plan sound that far-fetched to you?"
"I..."
Unlike Yeonhwa's immediate scoff, Kim Seungjun pondered seriously for a long while before answering.
"I think it's possible."
"You're serious? If it fails, your PD career could be over."
"Doesn't matter. If we don't try something, our station's done for anyway."
"Jeez, is this gutsy or reckless?"
Yeonhwa furrowed her brow.
If it were just Rimon talking big, she could've dismissed it as nonsense.
This industry was full of overconfident rookies with delusions of grandeur.
But even for a small cable station, Kim Seungjun was a legit PD. Not some fool who couldn't spot baseless bravado.
'Come to think of it, this guy's the one Mun Cheonyeop was desperate to sign.'
Sure, Mun had issues with character, but he'd discovered and built Claire up.
His eye for talent was sharp.
Even if it was thanks to his unique skill.
Anyway, if even Mun Cheonyeop had hounded this place and resorted to threats to sign him...
And if he was a high-level player who could crush Mun Cheonyeop...
"Why overthink it? Worst case, no real loss for you."
"...True enough."
Yeonhwa nodded.
Compared to Kim Seungjun risking his career or Rimon risking friction with Midas, her downside was minimal.
Still, instead of deciding immediately, she gazed steadily at Rimon.
"Sorry for going back on 'no more questions,' but one last thing."
"What?"
"Why go this far?"
She could understand Kim Seungjun.
Leaving Mun Cheonyeop alone might spell trouble, but success meant a comeback jackpot.
Same for her.
Displacing Mun Cheonyeop for a Midas connection meant reclaiming WIM.
What she couldn't figure out was Rimon.
"I get Mun tried to mess with you, but it's not like you have a deep grudge."
If he truly had the skills, he could resolve this smoothly.
So why drag her in and escalate?
With suspicion in her voice, Yeonhwa asked.
Rimon replied calmly.
"I recently rediscovered something."
"What?"
"When dealing with scum, you have to crush them thoroughly—so thoroughly even the dog and its owner won't dare step up."
"..."
Rimon slowly raised one hand.
He stroked the head of the bluebird perched on his shoulder and continued softly.
"Otherwise, innocent people might get hurt."
Dogs bare their teeth.
Owners rampage in their place.
Because half-measures make them think you're an easy mark.
So he'd make sure to crush Mun Cheonyeop so Midas would shun him themselves if he tried crawling back.
Yeonhwa stayed silent for a long time after his calm, chilling words.
Then she spoke softly.
"How soon can you prep that program?"
That marked the start of their unholy alliance to nail shut Mun Cheonyeop's coffin.
"Sword Duke-nim had such an incident?"
"Yes."
Li Chingwei soon learned of Rimon's scheme.
Mun Cheonyeop's matter had come from Youin anyway, and Rimon had briefly informed her of his plans.
"A bit disappointing."
"That the Sword Duke is clashing with Midas?"
"No, that he didn't ask me to handle it."
Li Chingwei shook her head.
She smiled faintly and continued.
"If he'd just said the word, I could've erased that Mun Cheonyeop without a trace."
"Truly regrettable. The Dark Veil Squad's been short on practice dummies lately."
"For a clean job, the Black Feather Squad would've been better. Since it involves a top-10 guild."
"Indeed, as you say."
If Mun Cheonyeop had heard, he'd be dying of curiosity about their "clean" methods.
But Li Chingwei didn't care about such trivia.
She just murmured to herself.
"Anyway, perfect."
"What do you mean?"
"I had a dilemma, but now I don't."
Li Chingwei grinned.
She'd been wondering how to ask Rimon, but since he'd stepped up, no need to hesitate.
She pulled out a sheet of stationery, dipped her brush, and fluidly wrote a message.
She folded it neatly, sealed it with wax, stamped her seal, and handed it to Youin with a prepared box.
"Youin, deliver this letter to her?"
"...May I know the purpose?"
"No need for formality or secrecy. It's just an invitation."
"An invitation?"
Youin looked puzzled.
As Hotel Leviathan's manager, he could handle even assassination orders calmly.
His unease stemmed from one thing.
The recipient named in the letter.
"You think she'll accept?"
"She will."
Li Chingwei stated firmly.
She couldn't have been so sure before.
She ruled one pillar of the Seven Dragon Society as princess, but so did the recipient.
Yet with conviction, Li Chingwei smiled meaningfully.
"Any other princess, maybe not. But her? Definitely."
Provided she didn't flee first.