Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Chocolate Entertainment's Insurance Payout
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Nam Joo-hyuk had once told Park Hae-jin that CEO Kim Min-su regretted the insurance payout from the fourth Trials' Arena.
It sounded cruel at first glance, but it made sense.
The insurance CEO Kim Min-su mentioned had been sustainable because the insurance company had never taken a massive hit.
But once the company faced a situation requiring a huge payout, they counter-proposed to Chocolate Entertainment.
They suggested switching to an insurance policy with a set limit, but in exchange, if Chocolate Entertainment canceled all existing policies on its affiliated celebrities, they would cover the current claim without any limit.
For agencies continuously losing affiliated celebrities in the Trials' Arena, rejecting that deal would have been the right move.
"But Chocolate Entertainment will benefit more operationally than from future payouts, so accepting the insurer's offer is the smart play. Because of me. The only regret is that it would have been a much bigger sum if we'd gotten compensation for higher-value celebrities... CEO Kim Min-su regretted that later too."
Hae-jin had asked Joo-hyuk about it.
Couldn't he have just used his authority as the majority shareholder to tell CEO Kim Min-su to claim the insurance on other celebrities later?
Joo-hyuk replied:
"Bringing it up early to someone like CEO Kim Min-su, who doesn't trust easily, wouldn't have worked. It was faster to just go along nicely and target the celebrities he picked. In the end, after that, CEO Kim Min-su came to trust my words completely."
That's why Hae-jin wasn't surprised when CEO Kim Min-su quickly crunched the numbers and started talking insurance for the three celebrities Hae-jin had mentioned.
He had expected as much.
The key point was that those three celebrities Hae-jin told CEO Kim Min-su about had died in the fourth Trials' Arena, earning Hae-jin his full trust.
Anyway, with thoughts of what needed to be done before the fifth Trials' Arena, Hae-jin decided to wrap up his conversation with the remaining Kwon Na-ye and Lee Sang first.
"For now, I'll share info on the fifth Trials' Arena once Anna's here too. Anything else you want to say?"
"Uh..."
Kwon Na-ye looked flustered when Hae-jin firmly set the timing for revealing the fifth Trials' Arena info.
She probably hadn't expected such a blunt refusal.
While Kwon Na-ye was at a loss for words, Lee Sang chimed in.
"Then, aside from the fifth Trials' Arena, is there anything about the real world you could share?"
"About the real world?"
"Yes. If we keep surviving, we'll have to live in the real world with you, Leader. Info from the previous Leader Nam Joo-hyuk, who regressed, or from you, who's experienced regression, probably isn't limited to just the Trials' Arena."
Lee Sang was certainly sharp.
Everyone had simply acknowledged Hae-jin as Leader and pledged to follow his orders.
As a result, they were all thinking of info from Hae-jin only in terms of the Trials' Arena.
But Lee Sang pointed out that the help didn't have to be confined to there.
"Hmm, true enough."
Hae-jin had planned to share it once the Chocolate Entertainment matter was sorted.
After meeting CEO Kim Min-su, confirming the three celebrities' deaths, filing the claim, and once the article came out, he'd tell them.
That would be the perfect window to buy Chocolate Entertainment stock even cheaper than Hae-jin's purchase price.
Countless entertainment agencies were trying to claim insurance like CEO Kim Min-su as their awakened Player celebrities died.
Articles on such cases flooded out this month.
Most agencies aimed to keep collecting payouts for their 20s-30s celebrities' deaths using this insurance product.
But Chocolate Entertainment, one of the largest in the market, handled it differently.
Instead of maintaining limited policies, they secured full payout for the deaths of three affiliated celebrities—Han Jin-seo, Kim Ki-su, and Baek Chang-su—and then discontinued the insurance.
Of course, this wasn't an article from Chocolate Entertainment.
'It's collusion between the insurers.'
With Player deaths from the Trials' Arena—commonly called the Survival Game—making headlines monthly, insurers faced massive payouts threatening bankruptcy.
Already hurting from prior Trials' Arena deaths, when the biggest player, Chocolate Entertainment, demanded unlimited payout for just three celebrities and canceled the rest, insurers wanted more such cases.
'Honestly, Han Jin-seo, Kim Ki-su, and Baek Chang-su weren't low-value either.'
From the insurers' view, basing it on Chocolate Entertainment, maximizing payout for those three made sense compared to ongoing 20s-30s celebrity claims.
They figured no more payouts on this product afterward was better.
The insurer shared the Chocolate Entertainment case with others and pushed it into news articles quickly.
Why?
If Chocolate Entertainment did it, it created an atmosphere where other agencies might follow.
That's when Chocolate Entertainment's stock dipped further.
After the article, Chocolate Entertainment strategically traded awakened Player celebrities for non-Player ones or terminated contracts.
Fans criticized treating affiliated celebrities like disposables, sparking negative sentiment.
Naturally, bad views on the company dragged the stock down.
'That's when I planned to tell them.'
Hae-jin intended to advise party members to buy Chocolate Entertainment stock then.
They could snag it cheaper than Hae-jin had.
Not a huge difference—just a bit cheaper.
After the fifth and sixth Trials' Arena, with 20s-30s celebrities decimated, people would realize Chocolate Entertainment's strategy was right.
Investors betting entertainment stocks would see only Chocolate Entertainment survive would flock there.
The stock, after a brief stall, would soar like it had sprouted wings.
That was the history Hae-jin and Joo-hyuk experienced pre-regression.
Hae-jin figured after meeting CEO Kim Min-su, he'd share the Chocolate Entertainment info.
But with Lee Sang asking first, no need to delay.
"Well, one thing. I was planning to tip you off on a solid investment spot this month... but you beat me to it?"
Hae-jin shrugged as he spoke.
Even without Anna, he gave the gist.
When to buy Chocolate Entertainment stock.
He added not to worry about real-world survival.
"Anyway, we'll be state-backed for hunting villains, so no need to fret about making a living."
After chatting more with Anna, Lee Sang, and the others, Hae-jin sent them off.
A day later, he headed to meet CEO Kim Min-su first.
He called to check if he was in.
[Oh! Come now?]
"Yes."
[Could you wait five minutes?]
"Hm? Sure."
[Thank you.]
Hae-jin ended the call with CEO Kim Min-su.
Wondering why the five-minute wait, but Hae-jin had no issue.
He sat on the sofa, waiting five minutes.
Exactly on the mark, Hae-jin said:
"Done."
He tapped the sofa armrest twice with his index finger.
His shadow surged up, enveloping him.
Whoooosh—!
Using Shadow Blink, Hae-jin vanished from the sofa.
He arrived in Chocolate Entertainment's CEO office.
Whoooosh—!
The shadow whirlwind faded, leaving Hae-jin in the CEO office.
CEO Kim Min-su, having seen it before, wasn't startled.
Anticipating Hae-jin's arrival, he waited on the sofa used for meetings, next to the head seat—not his desk.
CEO Kim Min-su greeted the arrival calmly.
"You're here?"
"Yes."
"Tea is ready. Have some."
The tea's fresh brew wafted invitingly.
"That's why the five-minute wait?"
"Exactly."
"Hm, shall we get to business?"
"Please. About those three you mentioned last time..."
"No contact, right?"
"Yes."
Of course not.
They were the first on Joo-hyuk's list of Chocolate Entertainment's key awakened Player celebrities to die.
The rest didn't need memorizing since they'd follow CEO Kim Min-su's lead, but Joo-hyuk said to remember those three.
Anyway, with confirmation of no contact for the three, Hae-jin said:
"Under the Player Special Law, if an awakened Player vanishes on the 1st of the month, they can be registered as deceased. Use that to talk to the insurer right away."
Player Special Law.
Nations rushed Player regulations amid the sudden Survival Game.
After the first Trials' Arena, chaos reigned; post-second, acceptance; from the third, action.
The first law: Player Death Registration Act.
Players pulled into the Trials' Arena—called Survival Game in reality—had two outcomes.
Return as powerful Players ordinary people couldn't imagine, or vanish forever.
But surviving Players had no reason to hide.
Why?
Players weren't ordinary anymore.
Surviving the Trials' Arena granted privileges.
No incentive to hide, so cut-off contact equaled death proof.