The New Host is Too Good
Lee Sang-soo gave a start.
He had already expected Kim Nam-hu to do well this month as well.
The regulars he kept were an eager, hardworking newcomer.
He had clawed his way into Ace status last month, and it wasn’t easy to beat that record this month either. But he wasn’t the kind of host who would just give up.
This month, too, Kim Nam-hu’s sales had been steadily climbing.
And the biggest reason it surprised Lee Sang-soo was Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom.
Because of Kim Nam-hu, those two newcomers were being underestimated.
No matter how hard they worked, the difference never showed.
Yet those two newbies were already bringing in half of Kim Nam-hu’s sales.
And Kim Nam-hu was pulling Ace-level numbers again this month. Catching up wasn’t simple, especially when so many seasoned hosts had already dropped the ball this month.
“How’s the vibe in the host waiting room lately?”
“Total chaos. No factions at all. The slacking ones get called out for being losers, and the ones actually grinding have to fight tooth and nail just to match last month’s numbers.”
“What about the newbies?”
“They don’t even get to rest in there. Sales must’ve been insane.”
“There’s more to it than that.”
Lee Sang-soo knew from his own experience that hardworking newcomers often felt uncomfortable in the waiting room.
“I’ll have to tighten things up.”
The next day, just as he always did, Lee Sang-soo walked into the host waiting room and added yesterday’s sales to the whiteboard. Then he gathered everyone together for a quick briefing and a pep talk.
“Listen up. Look at Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom. Those two went all out and actually hit a record this month.”
Everyone turned to the whiteboard.
Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom’s numbers had skyrocketed.
“Those two newbies will cross last month’s total in just a few more days. And from there, every extra hour means double the incentive. That’s right, Boss promised big money, so go earn it. Hahaha!”
Lee Sang-soo stood in front of the crowd, cheering on the two newbies while also giving the veterans a healthy dose of motivation.
Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom puffed up their chests the moment all eyes landed on them.
Unfortunately, not everyone was happy about it.
These were the hosts who had been planning to slack this month.
Among them, Im Geun-woo opened his mouth without a hint of fear.
“Hyung, you know how it goes. Sales drop in the first half of the month and then recover later. Or they tank early and start climbing later. As soon as you start praising them, their heads get way too big.”
“What the hell did you just say?!”
Lee Sang-soo’s face twisted in anger at Im Geun-woo’s rude interruption.
Caution: Im Geun-woo’s insubordinate attitude is interfering with morale. Another warning will be issued if it continues.
Lee Sang-soo raised a hand to stop him from blowing up.
Then he spoke calmly.
“Geun-woo.”
“Yes, Hyung.”
“I know you’ve been working hard up until last month. I won’t drag it out.”
“This month you’re just easing up to hit last month’s target, but don’t make it obvious that the juniors are actually grinding. What’s wrong with working hard?”
Im Geun-woo realized Lee Sang-soo knew everything and shivered.
It wasn’t something he could brag about, even if he was slacking.
Lee Sang-soo fell silent and started calling out the names of hosts who were likely to surpass last month’s record this month.
Kim Nam-hu’s name was among them.
“All right, everyone. Let’s just beat last month’s numbers. The boss is doubling the incentives. This is basically an online game event. Hahaha.”
Lee Sang-soo laughed brightly, and the cheer spread through the room like wildfire.
**
The month ended and the results came in.
Kim Nam-hu had to pour extra money into his regulars because his sales had been too high the previous month.
Even if you worked hard, luck played a part.
Luckily, his regulars were all kind and rich.
When Kim Nam-hu casually mentioned that next month was going to be tough, they immediately asked what was wrong.
Once he told them, his friends dragged him out and treated him to a huge drinking session.
Thanks to that, his sales kept climbing smoothly.
Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom had their share of good fortune too.
Their sales exploded and they set personal records.
Of course they crossed last month’s total.
Even the veteran hosts who had been hovering in the middle saw fire in their eyes and started working harder.
As a result, more hosts at The Queen beat their previous best than those who didn’t.
Naturally, the hosts who had been slacking and eating up sales were starting to get ignored.
When Han Ki-ju called a company dinner, Lee Sang-soo was thrilled to pass the news on to everyone.
Kim Nam-hu, Cha Ji-hoon, and Shin Yong-geom had all raked in huge numbers this month, so they were in high spirits as they sipped coffee at a nearby café while waiting for the dinner.
“We can afford to slack off a little on the last day.”
Cha Ji-hoon said excitedly.
“Man, I knew Nam-hu was right. I never thought we could hit this kind of sales.”
His voice dripped with confidence.
It was natural.
Sales were confidence to a host.
Cha Ji-hoon looked like he had finally figured out how to do this job.
A host couldn’t just grind his way to success, but once he knew the method, he could reach a decent level.
Shin Yong-geom chuckled.
“Let’s keep at it next month too. We won’t get double incentives like this, but if we hit another big number it’ll still be serious money.”
Kim Nam-hu smiled along.
It had been an interesting experience watching the three newcomers work together to drive sales.
But he was thinking something completely different from them.
“It’ll be tough to keep doing it this way next month,” he said calmly.
“Eh?”
“Why?”
Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom were shocked.
They believed this was the best way and planned to keep using it.
“It’s good to pull each other along, but even I know how exhausting it is on the body.”
“Becoming a host is hard enough just to make clients feel comfortable, let alone maintain constant tension and not drink.”
“This is basically hard labor. It’s the same as honest effort. But the body will break down eventually. I’m young now, but—”
Kim Nam-hu hated that.
He knew how painful it was to watch his sick father suffer.
This month he had no choice because of the bet with Han Ki-ju, but he wanted to do host work smarter.
Put in less effort, get more results. That’s the true way of life.
Kim Nam-hu looked at Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom.
“You two can keep using this method if you want. I just want to work in a more refined way.”
“More refined?”
“Is there an even better way?”
Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom’s eyes sparkled, thinking he had one up his sleeve.
And Kim Nam-hu had no intention of telling them everything he knew.
It’s the same in the previous life: the easier something is to learn, the easier it is to lose.
He had also trained every single host technique with his own body while rolling on the ground in the previous life.
And I’m not their host teacher. I don’t need to teach every single one of them.
Kim Nam-hu had no plans to become a meat grinder for them.
He naturally pulled out his phone and checked the time.
“We’d better hurry. Boss will get angry if we’re late.”
Kim Nam-hu stood up, and Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom had no choice but to follow.
They didn’t have the shamelessness of constantly demanding insider information.
If anything, they were grateful for the teaching, and if it wasn’t given, they would just have to accept it.
One by one, the hosts started arriving at the restaurant where the company dinner was being held.
Lee Sang-soo had already secured the table and grinned when the big performers of the month showed up.
“There they are, our newbies! Boss said she’d be a little late tonight, so drink up and have fun.”
Han Ki-ju had good instincts.
In the end, more hosts had beaten their previous best this month than those who had slacked.
Her company’s income for the month would drop, but long-term, the juniors’ growth would bring far greater gains.
So Han Ki-ju created a comfortable place for the hosts to relax and drink together.