Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 118

120

“Impressive. If it’s the Black Society, they’d be a match for those guys. But are you a member of the Black Society too?”

Without hesitation, Beomseok shook his head.

“No. I am not.”

Leopard looked at him with serious eyes, his lips twitching. He couldn’t decide whether to say something or not. It could sound like he was mocking him, so he was hesitant to speak. However, since this person had treated him well, he thought it wouldn’t hurt to give him some advice.

“But why are they helping you?”

“It’s simple. I’m solving a problem for them. A very important one.”

“Then, as soon as that important problem disappears, will you still have something to offer the Black Society?”

Beomseok shook his head without needing to think it over. Once the matter concerning Emma was resolved, he didn’t think the Black Society would ask him for help.

“I don’t think so.”

“Then don’t trust the Black Society. The moment they no longer need you, they’re likely to abandon you. And after that, with nothing to rely on, you’ll be thoroughly crushed by the Hyena Group and the economic organizations behind them.”

Feeling uneasy, Beomseok looked at him with anxious eyes.

“Why is that?”

“I can explain it very simply. Humans tend to forget favors depending on the circumstances, but they never forget grudges. It was the same in my time. The Hyena Group, which was hostile to me, tried every possible trick to bring me down, but those I had favored in the past all turned a blind eye to me.”

Beomseok nodded, thinking it made sense.

“I guess so. That’s just how humans are.”

“But that’s not always the case.”

“I suppose not. There’s no guarantee that some people won’t keep their word.”

Leopard immediately waved his hand.

“I’m not talking about those people. I’m talking about those at the top of society, like the Black Society or economic organizations. Their relationships of gratitude and resentment are quite ambiguous. They may growl and fight like they want to kill each other, but they have the capacity to join hands with their mortal enemies for their own benefit. I don’t know if that’s why they’re so successful, but from your perspective, it will be a dagger in the back.”

The words didn’t sound pleasant, but Beomseok reluctantly agreed.

In fact, the Black Society’s recent entry into the professional gladiatorial world had diminished his necessity. Before, he had to rely solely on the God Knights because he had no special foothold, but now that they had control of the Avon area, that was no longer the case. They could secretly support a decent amateur team in the area, promote them to professionals, and then transfer Emma.

Therefore, Beomseok was feeling a sense of crisis and was building relationships with people like Lexter.

“You’re absolutely right. I’m slowly preparing for that.”

“That’s a relief. But it’s better to do it quickly. You never know when a knife will be stabbed in your back.”

Beomseok sighed deeply. It wasn’t an easy task. He couldn’t even freely recruit the gladiators he wanted with his current financial resources, so there was no way he could create the power to deal with economic organizations. However, if they pressured him without the shield of the Black Society, he would be like a punching bag in a boxing ring. He had to prepare for any possible situation.

‘Right. I can’t do it alone. I need to gather like-minded people like them and bind them into one force.’

The only people Beomseok could call close were Gloria, who was sitting here with him, and Lexter, who was currently the leader of Blue Bird. Both were significant figures, but even if he created a force with just them, he couldn’t stand up to the economic organizations. More helpful people had to be included.

He glanced at Leopard. Although he was down on his luck, he was quite capable and had a certain level of recognition. Moreover, Karen, whom he was taking care of, was a top entertainment prospect with a natural star quality and had a deep-seated grudge against the Hyena Group. If he nurtured her well, she would be a helpful collaborator.

“By the way, I’m just wondering, what are you going to do, Leopard? It seems like you’ve been having a hard time lately.”

Thinking about the future, he felt hopeless, and Leopard sighed deeply.

In fact, until recently, he had been living a leisurely life as a recluse in his attic. The fear and betrayal of past failures had completely taken away his hope for life.

Then one day, he received a call from a child protection center to take in an orphan. It turned out that his son, with whom he had lost contact, had died in an accident, leaving behind a late daughter named Karen. To Leopard, who lived alone without any relationships, a blood relative was a nuisance. So at first, he coldly refused to send her to an orphanage, but after being persuaded by the center staff, he agreed to live with her for a few days. There was no vacancy in the childcare facility, so Karen needed a place to stay temporarily.

But blood ties were truly frightening. After spending a few days together, he became attached to her. She was so affectionate and knew how to please him, and he couldn’t help but find her adorable. Even though he had gone bankrupt in the past, he could still afford to support one family member, so he decided to take care of Karen.

As they lived together for several years, Leopard discovered a new side of her. Perhaps because she was his blood, she showed considerable talent in music. Having tasted the bitter and sweet of the entertainment industry, he hesitated at first, but Karen’s potential was too good to let it go to waste. So a year ago, he gathered his last remaining assets and some debt and put up the sign of Leopard Planning again.

But the world’s heart was truly frightening. No matter how long he had been out of the public eye, he had long disappeared from the entertainment industry. Every broadcasting official and entertainment-related worker he visited sneered as if they had made a promise and showed reluctance to let Karen appear on television. As a result, the company continued to record losses, and in less than a year, all the employees left, and the office, house, and all the furniture were seized due to debt.

Of course, the situation would improve to some extent with this CF [Commercial Film, or advertisement] appearance and Beomseok’s consideration, but it was just a drop in the bucket.

“Well, I don’t know either. I really feel hopeless when I think about the future. I’m old enough to be okay, but I’m really worried about what will happen to Karen. She’ll have to live a hard life to pay off that debt….”

“How much debt is it?”

“Well, it’s about 3 million Krang.”

Beomseok faintly smiled. 3 million Krang was a lot of money, but it wasn’t a burden for him. He had earned 32 million Krang from today’s CF appearance, and even if he invested only one-tenth of that, Leopard Planning would survive.

However, there was no need to deliberately talk about this here and take a loss.

“Hmm. 3 million Krang is a lot of money. It’s enough to buy an apartment on the outskirts of the city.”

“That’s right. And it’s hard to pay off the interest because it’s borrowed at a high rate.”

“Oh, really? By the way, is Leopard Planning currently a corporation?”

“No. Who would invest in an old man like me to make it a corporation? It’s just a small company owned by an individual.”

Beomseok nodded and immediately said.

“Then that means you can turn it into a corporation if you have an investor.”

“That’s right. It’s not like I can afford to be picky now… Se, surely you don’t mean…?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m asking.”

“H, how much are you thinking of investing?”

He thought hard and answered.

“I’ll invest 6 million Krang in exchange for 15 percent of Leopard Planning’s shares. And I’ll get Karen on WBS Broadcasting’s famous music program.”

At those words, Leopard’s old eyes shone brightly. 6 million Krang would be enough to pay off all the debt that was oppressing them and still have 3 million Krang left over. Moreover, WBS Broadcasting was a broadcasting company that targeted the whole world. If she could advance to this music program, Karen’s external recognition would inevitably increase. It was a really good deal to give 15 percent of the shares of an almost bankrupt company and receive that much help.

“I, is that really true?”

Beomseok nodded. 6 million Krang was just a portion of the money he would receive after this CF shoot, and he could just ask the Black Society, who was cooperating with him, for help with the WBS Broadcasting appearance. Since they had recently switched Emma from a candidate to a starting and substitute player, their satisfaction with him was very high.

“Of course. What do you say?”

“I, of course, have no choice but to accept that offer. Isn’t this a company that’s going to go bankrupt any day now? I’ll give you 15 percent right away. But I have one question. Why are you thinking of investing in our Leopard Planning? You know our situation very well, don’t you?”

He knew very well that they were in a beggar-like situation. However, Karen had the talent to become a superstar once she was on worldwide television. If that happened, she would earn at least tens of millions of Krang, and up to hundreds of millions of Krang, from just one CF shoot, and he, who owned Leopard Planning’s shares, would receive a portion of that. In addition, because she was related to Leopard by blood, she would not move to another entertainment management company. In other words, she would remain an asset of Leopard Planning until she retired from the entertainment industry. No matter how he looked at it, there was no better deal than this.

“I know very well. But I believe in Karen’s talent. I know because I shot a CF with her today. She’s quite witty. I think she has the potential to become a superstar if given the chance.”

Gloria, who had been listening quietly, looked at Leopard and said.

“Leopard, can I invest too?”

“What? You’re going to invest in our company too? How much?”

“I’ll give you 8 million Krang and get Karen and other affiliated entertainers on a local broadcasting station that I know. In return, give me 15 percent of the shares, the same as Beomseok.”

Leopard looked dazed, as if he couldn’t believe it. A whopping 14 million Krang was looming before his eyes for 30 percent of the shares of a collapsing company. Moreover, he had the opportunity to appear on television, which had not been easy. He would be a fool to refuse here.

“I, I’m naturally grateful. But why are you investing that much money in our company? Frankly, you don’t really know us, do you?”

“No. I’m a fan from the past, so I know Leopard’s abilities well. Of course, I don’t know what kind of child your granddaughter Karen is, but I trust Beomseok’s judgment. You may not know this, but Beomseok’s judgment is quite well-known in this local community. Every gladiator he recruits is a hit. I think Karen is the same.”

That’s what she said, but in fact, she wanted to strengthen her ties with Beomseok even more. If they were major shareholders in the same company, she would have the opportunity to meet him at the annual shareholders’ meeting.

Leopard, who didn’t know this, was overwhelmed with happiness at the sudden good fortune. He was struggling to make ends meet every day, and such a great opportunity had come to him. He couldn’t help but be grateful to Beomseok and Gloria.

“Th, thank you so much. I will definitely succeed in making a comeback and repay you.”

Beomseok laughed heartily and said.

“Yes. Please do. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Don’t worry. I may look like this now, but I was once a popular superstar. I’m someone who ran a famous management company. If you support me from behind like this, I can definitely succeed.”

Beomseok, who had been smiling for a while, suddenly looked troubled. It was because Lexter suddenly came to mind. He was such a greedy person that he would definitely be very jealous of Beomseok and Gloria for making a lot of money from this investment. Even if he didn’t pester them to invest, he needed to at least give him a hint.

“Um, by the way, are you willing to accept another investor? I can’t guarantee anything, but you might be able to get an investment of about 8 million Krang for a 15 percent stake like us.”

It didn’t really matter. After all, the shares going out to outsiders were only 45 percent, so he could protect his management rights. To be honest, until Beomseok’s offer came in, he was willing to hand over the entire company if they just paid off the debt.

“Of course. The more money, the better.”

“Hahaha. Thank you. He’s such a sensitive person that it’s scary if we leave him out. I have to at least ask. Hahaha.”

With that, Beomseok took out his electronic notebook from his pocket and contacted Lexter. It was just to ask about his willingness to invest as a matter of courtesy. He was likely to refuse if he told him the situation, but it didn’t matter at all. It was just a gesture to prevent future problems.

– Of course, I have to do it!

But the reaction was very enthusiastic. He had never lost money by doing what Beomseok told him to do. In particular, the elf gladiators he had newly recruited last summer, as advised by him, were showing such high growth that they were surprising everyone, and he was greatly impressed by his insight. Now, he would believe Beomseok even if he said he was making *meju* [Korean fermented soybean block] with red beans.

In the end, Leopard received a total investment of 22 million Krang that day and laid the foundation for growing Leopard Planning in earnest.

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

I heard that Apple’s Steve Jobs passed away today. In fact, he is the person who had the greatest impact on us sitting at our PCs reading novels, playing games, and using the internet. This is because he released the Apple II personal computer to the market, opening the era of personal computers. Before that, only the expensive medium and large computer market led by IBM existed, and it was unimaginable for the general public to operate a computer.

In a word, he opened the current era. It can be said that a giant of an era has passed away.

But… it’s true… Overriding the death of such a person, the chest exposure issue is ranked #1 in Naver’s search rankings. I don’t know how to accept this… Well, I have no reason to question individual interests. My perspective, who worked in computer science and game-related fields, and the perspective of those who didn’t may be completely different. Hahaha.

Then everyone have a good day. I’ll see you at the same time tomorrow.