Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Park Seonghun, an Ordinary 40-Year-Old Family Man with Two Daughters
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The Benedict family's private jet bound for America.
Aileen gazed out the window, swirling a glass of top-shelf champagne, an indelible smile playing on her lips.
'Rejection...'
It was the first time in her life she'd ever experienced it.
Whatever she wanted, the world handed it to her on a silver platter.
Objects, people, power—it didn't matter.
But Kim Woojin was different.
He hadn't even flinched in the face of the absolute authority of the Benedict name.
Instead, he'd yawned like it was all a boring nuisance.
'Thrilling.'
She could see why women went on about bad boys being irresistible.
Far from bruised pride, it only fueled her desire to conquer him.
Easy men held no appeal.
You had to let them play hard to get a little before the conquest felt worthwhile.
She wanted to make him drop to his knees, cling to her skirts, and beg—soon.
"Catherine."
Aileen murmured softly, and her waiting secretary immediately bowed at the waist.
"Yes, Miss."
"How much can we shave off this schedule?"
"If we tighten it to the max... about three days."
"Contact the Defense Ministry and cut it more. We're entering the gate today."
"Understood."
She couldn't wait even a day to see that arrogant, magnetic man's face again.
"And that apartment I visited."
"You mean Kim Woojin's residence?"
"Yes. The unit next door. Buy it immediately."
"Understood."
Aileen took a sip of champagne and muttered to herself.
'Wait for me, Kim Woojin. We'll meet again soon.'
She was thinking the exact same thing as Yoo Jihyun.
Superhuman Phenomenon Management Agency, Ability Management Bureau Director's Office.
Bam!
Director Jeong Seonghwan slammed a stack of documents onto his desk.
"Does this make any sense?!"
His aide stood before him, sweating bullets.
"What? The Benedict family's young lady entered the country? In complete secrecy? And our intel department had no idea!?"
"W-We have no excuse, sir. She came in so discreetly..."
Jeong Seonghwan clutched the back of his neck.
Aileen Benedict.
Even before becoming a hunter, she was a massive figure in America under global scrutiny.
For someone like that to come and go from Korea without the government noticing?
This wasn't just national embarrassment—it was a gaping hole in national security.
"So! Who did she meet while she was here?"
The aide hesitated before answering.
"Apparently... she met only one person before rushing back."
"Who."
"Player Kim Woojin."
Jeong Seonghwan's eyebrow twitched.
"Kim Woojin? That... production-class guy with the enhancement ability?"
"Yes, that's right."
Jeong Seonghwan racked his brain.
A recent report from his informant player, Choi Daeuk, came to mind.
[Kim Woojin: Production class. Ability is enhancement, but no material supply means low real-world utility. F-rank. No need for surveillance.]
"That son of a bitch Choi Daeuk..."
A curse slipped from Jeong Seonghwan's lips.
Low utility? No need for surveillance?
America's top powerhouse flew in on a private jet just to meet him?
And intel even linked him to Yoo Jihyun, the youngest daughter of the nation's premier conglomerate, DH Group.
"If that bastard doesn't know something, he shouldn't spout bullshit..."
Kim Woojin was no ordinary production-class player.
He was likely an S-rank talent the nation needed to manage—or better yet, court—on a national level.
"Director, shall we form a reinvestigation team? Or send some agents..."
"No."
Jeong Seonghwan shot up from his seat.
He grabbed his overcoat and said coolly,
"No point sending those other guys. They'll just chase false leads again."
"Then...?"
"I'll go myself! If even Benedict is moving personally!"
With Aileen Benedict involved, sending low-level bureaucrats again could provoke unknown backlash.
"Who's handling Kim Woojin right now."
"Officer Jo Ah-young."
"Tell her to prepare and come with me immediately."
"Yes, sir."
Next door to Woojin's place, apartment 1104.
Homeowner Park Seonghun was your typical everyday 40-year-old family man in Korea, with two daughters under his roof.
He was yelling at his wife.
"Honey! Pack our stuff quick! Just the essentials!"
"What's going on?!"
"Dad, where are we going?"
"Yeah! We're heading to a hotel for a few days, girls. Hotel! Fun, right!? We'll swim and play like crazy!"
"Yay! Awesome!"
"Honey! What the hell is happening!?"
As his wife pressed him, the recent events replayed in his mind.
"Pardon? You want to buy my house?"
Park Seonghun, the baffled family man with two daughters, asked incredulously.
"Yes, sir. We'd like to purchase your home. We'll pay a hundred million more than market value. Let's sign right now. That's a hundred million windfall from one move."
Park Seonghun, the opportunistic dad with two daughters, perked up.
This place was worth about five hundred million won, and they were offering an extra hundred million?
Jackpot.
"Uh... at that price, I'd consider selling... but you're not, like, shady folks involved in anything illegal, right?"
"Oh, absolutely not. We just need this place. Here's my card..."
As Kim's secretary smiled amiably and reached for his business card,
Ding.
The elevator opened right on cue, and another man in a black suit barged in.
"Hold on. You're the owner?"
"Yes, that's me."
The Benedict family agent, thinking he'd nearly botched it by arriving just a bit late, spoke up.
"Whatever that guy offered, we'll double it. Sell the place to me."
"Pardon??"
1.2 billion won? For a five-hundred-million-won apartment?
As his jaw dropped like he'd hit the lottery, Kim's secretary's face hardened.
"Benedict?"
The agent nodded.
"Then you know to back off here."
Normally, yes.
But Kim's secretary was competent.
Securing Kim Woojin meant dominating the future hunter market.
Hadn't Aileen Benedict herself visited as proof?
"Afraid not this time."
"You'll regret it."
Kim's secretary feigned composure.
"The young miss insisted we acquire it at any cost. Park Seonghun, two billion won."
"Three billion."
The Benedict agent countered without blinking.
An impromptu apartment auction had begun.
"3.5 billion!"
"Four billion."
"Five billion!"
"Six billion."
The price skyrocketed wildly.
Six, seven, eight billion...
Before long, it broke ten billion.
Park Seonghun, the family man with two daughters sensing something seriously off, went pale.
This was insane.
No one in Korea—no, the whole world—pays ten billion for a five-hundred-million-won apartment.
Something had to be hidden in the house... or maybe this was a hit on him.
'Drugs? Or a body buried while I wasn't looking?'
"Twelve billion!"
"Thirteen billion. You're probably nearing your funding limit by now?"
The Benedict agent tried to taunt, but he wasn't exactly relaxed either.
For all the Benedict wealth, he was just an agent.
Committing beyond this was pushing it.
Meanwhile, Kim's secretary's composure cracked too.
They'd long exceeded what Yoo Jihyun could pull solo.
But he couldn't back down.
'Even if it means getting smacked by the chairman, I have to close this deal!'
Finally, Kim's secretary bellowed in fury.
"Fifteen billion!!"
Sweat beaded on the Benedict agent's forehead.
Fifteen billion for one damn apartment?
'What now?'
As he agonized,
Park Seonghun, the family man with two daughters on the verge of madness, screamed and intervened.
"I-I don't know anything!"
The two men's gazes locked onto the terrified Park Seonghun.
"Sir?"
"I-I'm not an idiot! Who buys a five-hundred-million-won apartment for fifteen billion... You're from some or-organization, right? Right?! Wh-What do I need to do? If I clear out now, will you two handle it?"
Worried for his two daughters, Park Seonghun asked with a frightened look.
Too much money wasn't luck for an average Joe—it was terror.
Kim's secretary and the Benedict agent glared at each other.
Things were heading toward the owner calling the cops.
"...We can't settle this here."
"Agreed. We'll report up first."
"Yeah. Let the bosses hash it out directly."
The two tossed business cards to the somewhat relieved Park Seonghun and vanished.
"We'll be in touch."
"Wait for it."
Left alone, Park Seonghun barely supported his shaking legs as he stumbled inside.
"Honey... pack the bags."
"What? Why?"
"I don't know! Just do it! Something's seriously wrong!"
Park Seonghun, the 40-year-old family man who'd endured this bizarre ordeal for his two daughters, could only think of protecting his family right now.
Meanwhile, in apartment 1103, Woojin's living room.
"Sangjin, what about this? Rice bowls."
"What's the skill?"
"Heat retention. At just +3, the rice stays fresh. Killer, right?"
"Not bad, but it's one-and-done after it sells. Packaging's a hassle too. And that's skill only sticks to expensive bowls. Production costs are too high."
Woojin and Sangjin were deep in the most peaceful meeting imaginable.
Chopstick sales were starting to plateau.
They still moved well, but chopsticks were a one-time buy—people used them for years, so repurchases were low.
For expansion, they needed consumables or high-repeat items.
Sangjin shook his head.
"Let's recap the criteria. One: everyone uses it. Two: daily use. Three: needs periodic replacement. Four: enhancement effect must be straightforward."
The two huddled, brainstorming.
"Skills matter too. Chopsticks all had Chopstick Skill, so it was easy. But lots of items don't match. Needs consistency."
That's when Woojin pointed at the bathroom.
"Dude, seriously. What the hell did you eat? Your breath is nasty. Go brush your teeth."
Sangjin's eyes lit up.
"Hyung! That's it!"
"What."
"Toothbrushes! Everyone needs 'em nationwide! And once the bristles fray, you gotta replace 'em!"
"Oh! Nice! Toothbrushes!"
They immediately checked wholesale sites for toothbrushes.
"Lemme see..."
But Sangjin soon tilted his head.
"Tch, seemed perfect, but gonna be tricky right now."
"Why?"
"More patents than expected, and few manufacturers."
Lawsuits were a risk.
"And hyung, do sealed toothbrush packs enhance right away?"
"Dunno. Haven't tried."
Just when they thought they'd struck gold, digging deeper revealed roadblocks.
That's when it happened.
Woojin's eyes caught an item.
He even had multiples at home.
He picked one up and showed Sangjin.
"Hey, Sangjin. This one. They all have the exact same skill?"