Chapter 99

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 99

Chapter Title: Ha-yeon's Visit and Job Interviews

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"No, she said she wanted to see the office, so I brought her to show her around."

"Ah...?"

Hong Jae-gu, who had been flustered by the beauty's sudden appearance,

was even more thrown off by Jin-seong's response.

She wasn't here for an interview?! She knew Jin-seong?! Close enough for him to give her a tour of the office?!

"Say hi. This is Park Ha-yeon, my girlfriend. And this is Hong Jae-gu hyung."

"Hi? I'm Park Ha-yeon. Girlfriend of the pig, I mean, Jin-seong oppa."

"Ah, hello. I'm Hong Jae-gu. I work at Jin-seong's company."

Hong Jae-gu was stunned inside. He simply couldn't believe it. It was too hard to accept.

Jin-seong had a girlfriend?! And not just any girlfriend, but an absolute top-tier beauty?!

Hong Jae-gu, the lifelong singleton.

He'd never once been popular with the opposite sex, so he was genuinely jealous of Jin-seong. The guy who'd landed such a beauty seemed incredible.

He swallowed his envy with effort.

"Want some tea?"

"No thanks."

"You're so stunning, I thought you were here for the fitness YouTuber interview."

They exchanged brief greetings.

Hong Jae-gu fixed his gaze on his monitor and dove back into work with fierce focus.

Jin-seong stared at the back of Hong Jae-gu's head, vowing to keep his relationship with Choi A-young absolutely under wraps.

If Hong Jae-gu found out about him and Choi A-young, he'd probably be shocked to his core.

'No need to stir up trouble and tank employee morale.'

Park Ha-yeon asked,

"What kind of work do you do here?"

Jin-seong gave her a quick rundown.

They had a contract with the streamer Lilith, assisting her broadcasts and managing Lilith World.

"Want to see a video?"

"Sure."

He showed her a Lilith World clip.

"Does it make money? How much?"

"Quite a bit. About five times a regular office salary."

"Whoa? That much?"

"Yeah."

Park Ha-yeon barely made a million won a month working part-time at a rice bowl joint. Five times an office worker's pay felt impossibly distant.

"That's amazing. Jackpot."

They chatted for a while.

"Oppa, do you think I could make it as a YouTuber too?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, probably not, right? With my talents, it's impossible."

Before Jin-seong could even respond, she asked and answered herself, then pouted sadly.

'Ha-yeon... as a YouTuber...?'

Jin-seong pondered it.

What if Park Ha-yeon became a YouTuber?

The answer came instantly. No need to think twice.

'Huge hit. As big as A-young unnie.'

Park Ha-yeon was pretty and charismatic. An absolute top-tier beauty with every element people loved.

At minimum, a smash hit. If she worked diligently and honestly, hitting a million subscribers wasn't out of the question.

"I bet you'd blow up."

"Nah, me? Blow up? Impossible. Even breaking even would be a win."

"No, you've got potential. Someone like you could easily hit a million, no, two million subs."

Park Ha-yeon's lips curved up. She felt good hearing Jin-seong rate her so highly.

Her self-esteem ticked up a notch.

"Really? I should think about it."

But.

Despite her words,

Park Ha-yeon was surprised by the job but not swayed enough to dive in.

Jin-seong didn't push her to become a YouTuber. The decision was hers to mull over.

"Gotta head to my part-time gig."

"Be careful."

"Yeah."

They kissed goodbye.

On the way home,

'Ye-jin?'

He ran into Seo Ye-jin.

"Ye-jin, want some toast?"

"Yes!"

Seo Ye-jin flashed a bright, innocent smile.

Her complexion was worlds better than before.

"How's Grandma? Doing okay?"

"Yes. She's recovering quickly."

"Good to hear."

"It's all thanks to you, mister."

Thank you so much.

Jin-seong smiled warmly at Seo Ye-jin's inner thoughts, her clear and pure eyes. He patted her head.

"Want another one?"

"Yes!"

"Pizza toast?"

"Yes! Pizza toast."

"Drink? Bok-a-ti?"

"No. Cola!"

"You don't know what's good. Bok-a-ti is the classic with toast."

"I like cola."

Jin-seong parted ways with Seo Ye-jin and opened his banking app. He sent pocket money to his siblings—50,000 won each.

∴∴∴

'Tired.'

He woke up. Jin-seong felt fatigued. Unfortunately(?), he'd gone overboard with sex last night.

'Can't do this.'

He felt half-dead.

He bought and downed a Stamina Recovery Agent (1 point). He also popped a Family Comprehensive Health Vitamin.

"Whew—feels like I might live."

He planned his schedule.

Today would be a packed day.

He had to knock out workout achievements, reading achievements, interviews, and a date.

'Achievements... Getting tougher, but I can do it! I'll make it! Let's go!'

Fight!

'Interviews... Hope I connect with good people.'

He prayed to the heavens.

Please let me meet good people.

'Sex... Not tonight. Really don't want sex today.'

He got out of bed.

"Let's do this today! I can! I can live diligently! I can be hardworking! Let's go! Fighting!"

He clenched his fist.

His passionate, positive chant fueled his willpower. His body and mind felt hot and light.

He started the washer.

Cleaned.

He swept and mopped the room spotless. Organized the fridge neatly. Sorted recyclables thoroughly. Cleaned the bathroom before showering.

'Cleaning's a hassle, but...'

Jin-seong firmly believed it.

Be faithful in small things to be faithful in big ones.

Cleaning was the foundation of an abundant life.

'Nice.'

A satisfied smile formed naturally.

The house was clean. Shaking out the laundry released a pleasant fabric softener scent.

'Time to go.'

He tackled his busy morning routine.

Interview time arrived.

Five staff candidates, five YouTubers. Planning to hire one to two per category at most.

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Staff interviews began.

Main job: video production. Sub: managing and assisting YouTubers.

Salary: 2.5 million won monthly plus incentives.

The first interviewee was a woman.

'Pass.'

Jin-seong rejected Kang Ye-sol in 0.1 seconds.

Kang Ye-sol's profile was the worst.

The second was a man.

'Pass! Pass!'

His profile listed alcoholism and anger management issues.

Jin-seong wanted to work with upright, steady people as much as possible.

The third was a woman.

The third woman seemed quite capable. She'd be an asset if hired as staff.

But there was a fatal flaw.

'Pass!'

Thieves had no place in his company.

The first three interviews took less than five minutes total. He kept it brief, informed them of the decision, and sent them off.

The fourth was a man.

Lee Min-ho was young. No standout talents. High school grad, no specs, below-average looks.

'Hire!'

Decided in 0.1 seconds.

'Skills are secondary. Character comes first.'

If skills were lacking?

Train and encourage them to pull their weight.

If character was lacking?

No fixing it. A ticking time bomb. Unpredictable risks. Hard to keep long-term.

"Do you know video production?"

"Yes. Basics, at least."

"Great. Looking forward to working with you."

"Thank you. I'll work hard."

Last interview.

The worst.

The moment he faced the guy, chills ran down his spine.

'Looks decent, but...'

Rotten inside.

Jin-seong interviewed him for about 30 seconds, then sent him packing.

Next, YouTuber interviews.

Married woman. Pass.

Scammer. Pass.

Jin-seong was dumbfounded.

Why were there so many bad people in the world?

He continued the interviews.

And then.

'Whoa?!'

Jin-seong was shocked. The woman's talents reminded him of Seo Ye-jin—pure 'genius' level.

Incredible talents.

'But.'

There was a problem.

Kim Ji-ah was a minor.

Jin-seong preferred contracting with adults. Dealing with minors was a huge hassle.

Another issue too.

A blonde mixed-race girl with standout development. Utterly adorable.

His head throbbed.

∴∴∴

Gasp? 3.5x?

Jin-seong hurriedly opened the NH Securities app.

No hesitation. He sold everything without a backward glance. Not a shred of regret.

Soon, a message from Choi A-young.

Choi A-young's instincts were sharp.

As she predicted, the stock began to slide.