The Demonic Managers
The managers of the In-Seoul class at the re-study academy were the true workers who kept the academy running. They connected students with corporations, recommended lectures, potions, and supplements suited to each student's level, and even oversaw the quality of instructors. As a result, students came to trust and follow their managers more than the instructors themselves. The managers' influence rose endlessly. The decision-making power and voice that came from their diverse and vast responsibilities turned them into the true rulers of the academy.
Furthermore, the managers even formed partnerships with corporations. In exchange for turning the academy into a testing ground for new medicines, they received superior potions and equipment unavailable on the market, granting students tremendous improvements in performance. The power of the managers came from their ability to take responsibility for the students and the trust built over time.
To the managers, Lee Se-rin was a massive bomb. So the managers took action.
"That bitch never spent any money to begin with, so let's just tell the director and kick her out right away!"
"Ooooh!!"
To eliminate the variable, they first pressured the director. But the director put up unexpected resistance and made a strategic retreat. Then they devised a new plan: use Baek Seol to create trouble for Lee Se-rin, then use that as leverage to pressure the director again.
It was unexpected that the police didn't take Lee Se-rin away, but it didn't matter. The mere fact that police had come to the academy because of a student was enough grounds to expel her. Thus, when the managers went to the director and issued their second demand to do something about Lee Se-rin, the director made a troubled face and promised to summon her.
"It's done! The director will kick Lee Se-rin out before the academy gets dragged into any scandals!"
"Th-then...!"
"Yes. Victory for us managers...!"
The managers gathered in the conference room celebrated their victory, convinced their strategy had succeeded.
"...Excuse me. Did you call for me?"
"Come in, my pretty baby!"
"Eek. Taeguk Singun-nim? Why are you here?"
"I heard you were in trouble, so I came to help, baby!"
Completely unaware of what was happening in the director's office.
While training, I was summoned to the director's office. When I arrived, Lee Seon-hee, the Taeguk Singun, was there.
"Help me? With what...."
Lee Seon-hee smiled faintly and patted the seat beside her on the sofa.
"Come now. Sit here first."
Unsure of the situation, I looked at Kim Su-jin, the academy director. She quietly poured tea and placed cups in front of Lee Seon-hee and me. I suppose she wanted me to sit. Reluctantly, I sat beside Lee Seon-hee.
The director placed several documents on the table. They were sales performance reports from the managers of each class. I could see that applications for private lessons in my class had dropped sharply.
"The managers keep recommending your expulsion, Yoo Ji-tae. There are several reasons, but the biggest one is the drop in private lesson sales. It seems the instructors' income has decreased, which reduced their brokerage fees."
So they wanted me to stop. The money I earned from private lessons was about 100 million won a day. Losing that revenue stream must have hurt. If I had pulled in students from other classes, I could have earned even more. The kids from other classes seemed afraid of me and wouldn't come near. I should have been more aggressive with my offers.
"So that's why they harassed you? Those worthless scum."
Lee Seon-hee wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
"You must have suffered so much, baby.... I can't imagine how much those vile things tormented you."
The director asked, "What do you intend to do, Singun-nim?"
"Of course I want to kill them, but... hmm."
Lee Seon-hee glanced at me. She was leaving the final decision to me.
"I'll handle it myself."
I didn't want to see dozens of people die right in front of me. Besides, this was their livelihood. They had tried to harm me, that was true. But I didn't think it was something worth dying over.
"Hmm...."
Lee Seon-hee crossed her arms and twisted her body as if troubled.
"I want to kill them, but if that's truly your wish, then so be it. Of course, if they really go too far, tell me. I'll go and end them anytime."
"...Understood."
If it wasn't a matter of life and death, I would never call her. A bloodbath in the academy district was something I wanted to avoid too.
Director Kim Su-jin nodded.
"Then I understand. We'll ignore the managers' expulsion recommendations."
Just like that, the managers' plan was shattered in an instant.
I quietly looked at the report on the table. While selling private lessons at the academy, I had been a little worried about being called to the director's office. I thought she might accuse me of ignoring the academy's own lectures. But the director had turned a blind eye to my actions. In that case, maybe I could act more boldly.
"Um, then... would it be okay if I sold other things too?"
"For example?"
"Like elixirs. Or enhancers."
Director Kim Su-jin made a troubled face. 'Right, that would be difficult.'
Private lessons were one thing, but permitting the sale of potions and enhancers would be a direct betrayal of the pharmaceutical companies contracted with the academy. It was a difficult request from the director's position.
'Well, just selling private lessons is fine too.'
Even just private lessons earned me 100 million won a day. Add another 100 million from appraisal requests, and earning 200 million won a day wasn't bad at all.
Right beside me, Lee Seon-hee smiled brightly and spread both arms.
"Yes, yes. Of course! Our baby can do whatever he wants!"
Director Kim Su-jin scratched her cheek.
"Ah, um. Singun-nim? That's a bit..."
"What?"
"Ah, um. Understood. We'll do that."
I received permission to sell elixirs at the academy. Of course, not just elixirs. I could freely sell various items like supplements and enhancers as well.
"Ah! I almost forgot. This is a gift...."
Lee Seon-hee pulled out a paper bag she had placed under the table and pushed it toward me. The bag had "Nokjeong Pharmaceuticals" written on it in large letters.
"It's worth about 500 million won, so don't worry about it. Eat as much as you want and train hard, okay? Hehe... And this is our Ah-rang. Isn't she lovely?"
With a "ta-da" sound effect from her mouth, she showed me a photo. It was Lee Ah-rang taking 10th place in the academy combat exam. Lee Ah-rang was working incredibly hard to grow stronger too. She was probably growing while consuming 1 or 2 billion won worth of resources every day.
"She's pretty."
"Right?! Puhe... Puhehehe...."
Lee Seon-hee covered her mouth and laughed softly. But a sense of crisis washed over me first. Elixirs cost money. Even if I made them myself, the raw materials were expensive, so properly made ones would easily cost hundreds of millions. Only 60 days remained until the Korea University entrance exam. Every time I looked at the calendar, dread crept in.
My current status was as follows:
All my specs had finally reached the 6 range. It was an enormous improvement compared to a month ago when my health, strength, and mana were all at 1.00. Manseong Pajigwon Gakbeop had reached 8, Dismantling Deity Descent Hand Seal had reached 3, and Taeguk Cheonji Simbeop had reached 4, bringing automatic operation efficiency to 15%.
'But with the slowdown period starting, my growth rate has become too slow.'
Over the past three days, my health and strength had only increased by 0.09 and 0.1 at most. Mana growth had also slowed due to the slowdown period. I had poured every last bit of money earned from private lessons and appraisal requests, plus my current savings, into training. My remaining funds were now around 1 million won.
I looked at the medicine Lee Seon-hee had given me from Nokjeong Pharmaceuticals. She had given it to me to consume. But this company's potions generally had a 30% cost ratio. If I sold one pill, I could make three more with the proceeds and still have money left over. If I sold all the potions here, used the raw materials to make more, and repeated the process, my money would triple each cycle. I might be able to catch up to Lee Ah-rang's growth.
"Um, Singun-nim. Could I receive another 500 million won worth of medicine? I've been short on potions for training lately."
"Baby, it seems you've forgotten we're in a competition."
"Ah."
Right, Lee Seon-hee had no reason to help me. This elixir was merely a gesture of goodwill, and she wouldn't provide enough help for me to truly win.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't jump to conclusions. I didn't say no."
Lee Seon-hee seemed to think deeply for a moment, then smiled with the corners of her mouth raised.
"There's one thing I want to ask."
"Yes, Singun-nim."
Lee Seon-hee's face flushed red. She looked embarrassed and averted her gaze.
"From now on... could you call me Mother...?"
Lee Seon-hee's eyes grew moist. Because of her high realm, Lee Seon-hee showed no signs of aging. Her appearance was no different from a woman in her early twenties. She looked young enough to be my friend, or even someone I could call noona. And she had an extraordinary figure on top of that. If such a woman pleaded with tears streaming down beside me, even I would feel my resolve weaken.
"...Is it difficult?"
Besides, the important thing right now was catching up to Lee Ah-rang's growth rate. It wasn't impossible.
"No, it's not. Mother."
Lee Seon-hee covered her mouth with both hands and lowered her head deeply. I could see her ears turning red.
Our baby, trust only Mommy from now on....! (15 Points)
Somehow, I ended up with two mothers.
'...Well, whatever.'
"I love you so much, Mother."
Mommy loves our baby so much too.... (10 Points)
"Y-yes, Mommy loves our baby so much too."
Her thoughts came out of her mouth exactly as they were. Now might be possible.
"Um, Mother. I still need more money to buy elixirs though."
"Spend as much as you want!!!"
Lee Seon-hee smiled brightly and took out her wallet. That day, I received 500 million won.
*****
Two days later, the managers were shocked when they saw the performance charts.
"Lee Se-rin, that damn bitch!!!"
The managers' sales performance in Lee Se-rin's class had plummeted to zero. It was because Lee Se-rin herself had started selling private lessons and potions to the students. But the director told them to leave it alone, driving them to the brink of madness.
Now the managers no longer saw Lee Se-rin as just a bomb. She was a demon. A demon who had invaded their paradise. Her tremendous control, sales ability, and the fact that her products' performance surpassed existing goods were all noteworthy issues.
Just where did she get her connections to keep churning out such items? Where on earth had that woman come from? All sorts of speculations and hypotheses were exchanged, but there was no conclusion.
Some managers felt a bit relieved. Lee Se-rin's area of activity was limited to the single classroom she was in. They had feared she would extend her reach to other areas, but the prevailing sentiment was that students would continue taking the potions and lectures they were already accustomed to. The distance students felt toward Lee Se-rin played a big role in that, though it wasn't particularly important.
What mattered was that the damage caused by Lee Se-rin ended with just one classroom. The managers decided to endure, recalling the director's words to hold out for two months.
"Lee Se-rin-ssi. Would you like to collaborate with me?"
Until Cheon Hee-ah approached Lee Se-rin.
"I'll handle sales in the other classrooms, so you just need to supply the goods, Se-rin-ssi. How about it?"
Just like that, the gates of hell opened.