VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
Chapter 27
Translator: Enuma ID
He was on his way to meet Woo-sik.
Park Ji-hun locked the door to his Rooftop Room and headed down the stairs.
As he turned into the alley, a banner strung up on a utility pole caught his eye.
[Urban Redevelopment Project]
Ŵ êb̂ n̆ о v е l Е̇ nu m̄а_
[Best Wishes for the Project's Success]
It was a slogan he'd seen a few times before.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
But today it felt different.
People in hard hats were moving back and forth deeper in the alley, and off to one side someone had even pulled out surveying equipment.
'They've been saying Redevelopment, Redevelopment for ages. Guess it's for real this time.'
Park Ji-hun stared up at the banner for a moment, then moved on.
Еñ ùmа̀
When he pushed open the door of the neighborhood gukbap place and stepped in, Woo-sik, who'd gotten there first, shot up a hand.
"Hey, over here."
Park Ji-hun said as he sat down across from him.
"You got here fast."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"After what you told me earlier, you think I'd take my sweet time?"
Woo-sik smirked and leaned forward.
Еń ûm̆а̇.і̆d
"Forget that. So is it true?"
"Is what true."
"That both Ocean and Cloud are after you."
Park Ji-hun shrugged like it was no big deal.
"Yeah."
"Whoa, shit."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Kim Woo-sik let out a hollow laugh.
"So what'd Ocean say?"
"Ugh, let's order first."
As Park Ji-hun started to raise his hand, Woo-sik headed him off.
"Already ordered two bowls of sundae gukbap." [TL Note: sundae is a Korean blood sausage; sundae gukbap is a hearty rice soup made with it.]
"Aw man, I wanted to eat something else today."
Ё n̂um̃а̀ . іd
"That's not the point, just spit it out."
Park Ji-hun said evenly.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"They'll make me a Partner right away, keep running a Banner for me, assign a Dedicated PD, and throw in a Signing Bonus too."
Woo-sik froze on the spot.
"......What?"
"What? Something wrong?"
Ёnůmа
"No, fuck."
Woo-sik gulped down some water and went on.
"I grinded for five years just to scrape my way to Partner, and you're telling me you get Partner, a Banner, and a Dedicated PD all in one month of streaming?"
Park Ji-hun shrugged.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"That's what they said."
"Ocean's really pulling out all the stops here."
Еn u m̊ а̄
Woo-sik clicked his tongue and added.
"Argh, I'm happy for you, but this is honestly making me a little sick to my stomach."
"You eat something bad yesterday?"
Woo-sik grumbled.
"It really is way too fast, though."
"So what should I do?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
At that question, Woo-sik's expression turned serious.
"Don't decide too hastily. You've gotta hear Cloud out too. Make them both lay their cards on the table. Honestly, switching over isn't automatically the better move. You could end up losing your existing Viewers."
"Ah, yeah, that could be an issue too. Still, I figured you'd take Ocean's side since you're an Ocean Partner. Kind of surprising."
"That's a separate thing. But since the bidding war's already on, milk it for everything it's worth and squeeze out all you can. When'd you set the meetings for?"
"Cloud's a bit later, at a café. Ocean's in the evening."
"Good timing."
Е ňum̌а̀
Woo-sik lowered his voice a little.
"But if it comes to this, stuff like the Banner and the Partner deal will all be about the same. What really matters is how far they'll cover your back."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"My back?"
"Taxes, legal stuff, complaints, that kind of thing."
Park Ji-hun's eyes narrowed.
Woo-sik quickly continued.
W е̇ b̈ nоṽ е́ l̇ Е̄ n̈ũ m̆ а́.
"The stream you're running now, it could get a whole lot bigger. But if things go sideways, the headaches come tagging right along. You might end up needing to sue over hate comments or rumors, and once you start pulling in serious money, you could be handing over half of it in taxes."
Woo-sik clicked his tongue and went on.
"Maybe not now, but once things blow up later, it'll be way more of a pain."
"And you're saying they'll help with all that too?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"If you're a Partner, to some degree, yeah. That's why I'm telling you to ask about that stuff carefully this time."
Ji-hun silently scooped up a spoonful of gukbap.
Ѐ n̊û m̈а
The piping-hot broth slid down his throat.
Woo-sik picked up a piece of sundae with his chopsticks and added.
"Cloud might come in with a stronger offer. The Signing Bonus, the split, that kind of thing."
"More than Ocean?"
"Yeah, they're a different weight class. And they're the ones trying to poach you."
"But the real question is whether they'll handle all the little stuff too."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Exactly."
Woo-sik nodded.
"So hear them both out. How much they'll pay, how far they'll go for you."
"Okay."
"And don't let them see how excited you are."
"Me?"
Е̃ n ú m̊а̊.i d̃
Woo-sik smirked.
"You're already thinking about how to spend the Signing Bonus the second you get it."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"......Damn. Is it that obvious?"
"Very. So keep your poker face on, like when you're doing a Spirit Reading broadcast."
"Yeah, thanks."
Park Ji-hun nodded and smiled.
Ӗ n ǔm̌ǎ
***
He was on his way to the evening meeting.
Park Ji-hun held onto the subway strap and watched the lights streaming past the window.
Cloud's offer from that afternoon kept circling in his head.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The Signing Bonus was big, and the revenue split was good too.
Going by the numbers alone, it was honestly tempting enough to sway him.
Еn̆û m̄.ӓ
The problem was what came after.
When he'd brought up taxes, it had been fine.
The answer came right away: of course they'd take care of something like that.
But the moment legal matters came up, the mood shifted.
They could connect him with outside counsel if needed; as for direct support, they'd review it internally.
Unlike with the tax talk, the response was lukewarm.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Park Ji-hun sank into thought.
The Signing Bonus and the split weren't everything.
Woo-sik's warning, that the bigger the stream got the more there'd be to worry about, stuck with him.
Once the train reached his station, he blended into the crowd and made his way out through the ticket gates.
The meeting spot was an upscale Korean restaurant a short distance from the station.
Guided by a staff member into a private room toward the back, he found Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun rising from his seat.
Еn u m̈ а_
"Thank you for coming all this way."
It was the same voice from the phone call earlier that day.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Park Ji-hun gave a light greeting and sat down across from him.
Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun spoke up before the prepared dishes were even laid out.
"The terms I mentioned earlier today still stand. If there's anything else you need, we'll do everything we can to accommodate it."
Park Ji-hun fiddled with his water glass without a word.
Wеbnо̆ v еl Еň um̈ а̇
Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun added, keeping his smile in place.
"Honestly, a surge like the one you're on right now isn't common. On our end, we're watching closely, convinced PerpetualJobSeeker-nim's broadcast will grow several times bigger than it already is."
Park Ji-hun looked at Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun and asked evenly.
"So, do you handle tax matters as well?"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Yes. Of course we would."
The answer came immediately.
Еnum̊ а̃
Park Ji-hun continued.
"There's no telling what might come up, so I'm curious whether legal support is on the table too. If complaints or disputes arise, how far can you back me?"
A brief silence fell.
Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun composed his expression at once.
He spoke in a careful voice.
"For taxes, we'll assign you a dedicated tax accountant. The same goes for legal. If any complaints or disputes come up, we'll respond and resolve them right away on our end."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Park Ji-hun nodded without a word.
Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun quickly went on.
"On the operations side, we'll assign you a Dedicated PD as well. We'll make sure you don't burn out on the things outside the broadcast itself. Oh, and if you'd like, we can set you up with a foreign-language interpreter too."
Park Ji-hun was weighing all of it in his head against Cloud's terms from the afternoon.
Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun asked cautiously.
"Is there anything else you'd want, or anything you're wondering about?"
Еn̈ ûmа́.ї ď
Park Ji-hun answered shortly.
"How high can the Signing Bonus go?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun stated the figure he'd come prepared with.
It was lower than the amount Cloud had quoted.
Woo-sik had been right.
Park Ji-hun let it slip casually.
Ĕ ǹ ũ m а̌ .і d
"It's not more than Cloud's."
Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun's expression stiffened for a moment. After some hesitation, he spoke up carefully.
"Then how about this much?"
A newly proposed Signing Bonus.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
It was still less than what Cloud had offered, but not by much.
"All right. Let's sign."
W̆ е̇b n о̆ v еl̂ Е̄ nům а
On the Signing Bonus alone, Cloud was a touch higher.
But money wasn't the only thing he needed right now.
Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun's face lit up in an instant.
"Really, you'll sign right now?"
"Yes."
Park Ji-hun took a drink of water and added.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"I don't see any reason to drag it out."
Once the meal was done, he looked over the contract and signed it.
"Thank you. The Signing Bonus will be deposited first thing tomorrow."
"Got it."
As the conversation was wrapping up, Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun cleared his throat and spoke.
"Ah, and one more thing......."
Е́ñŭm_ӓ
Park Ji-hun looked at Team Leader Jeong Woo-hyun.
His face had gone red as he went on.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"The CEO asked me to be sure to pass something along if I got the chance to meet PerpetualJobSeeker-nim today."
"What is it?"
"He was wondering if you might do a Spirit Reading...... for him personally."
After letting a beat pass, he added.
W̄ е̊b̀ n̄.о̆v̊ èl̃ Е̄ n̊ u m̄а.
"I, I'm sorry."
Park Ji-hun snorted a laugh.
"It's fine. Tell him this."
"What should I tell him?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Park Ji-hun answered shortly.
"That even the CEO has to wait in line."
Ӗ n̆ů m̆ а̊ .іd̆
***
He was on his way back home.
Bzzzt.
His phone buzzed briefly.
He checked it: a message from Cloud.
[PerpetualJobSeeker-nim, we're truly sorry, but it looks like the most we can offer on legal is a connection to outside counsel.]
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Park Ji-hun sent a reply.
[Understood.]
As he turned into the alley, he thought.
'Good thing I signed with Ocean.'
In the distance, he could see the building with his Rooftop Room.
A faded outer wall, cracks running through it here and there.
Е̄ n̂u m а
It clearly showed its age.
Just as he reached the front of the building.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Hey, kid."
At the familiar voice, Park Ji-hun looked up.
The landlord was standing at the foot of the first-floor stairs.
His expression was a little heavier than usual.
Е́n̈ ũ m а̃. і̌d̈
"Hello, sir."
"Can we talk for a minute?"
Park Ji-hun nodded right away.
"Sure, go ahead."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The landlord spoke, an apologetic look on his face for no real reason.
"Nothing's finalized yet, but the talk about Redevelopment is starting to get serious."
Ê ńu̇m а̄
"Ah."
What he'd seen earlier that day flashed through his mind.
"There's a chance you might have to move out down the line, so I figured I'd give you a heads-up in advance."
The landlord added hurriedly.
"I'm not saying leave right now. Once there's a date, I'll let you know as soon as I can. And I'll chip in for the moving costs too."
"Thank you. If it's Redevelopment, there's nothing to be done about it."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"I appreciate you taking it that way."
Park Ji-hun stole a glance at the landlord's face.
He was a kind-hearted man.
When Ji-hun had told him he was a job-seeker, he'd readily knocked down the deposit, and the landlord and his wife would often bring over side dishes.
"Thank you for letting me know ahead of time."
"Don't mention it. I'm the one who should be sorry."
Е n̈ ů ḿå .і d̈.
The landlord scratched the back of his head and asked.
"How's the job hunt coming along?"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Good, actually. I just signed with a good place, so I was starting to think about moving out myself."
Only then did the landlord look a little relieved.
"That's good to hear. You're a hard worker, so I always figured you'd do well at whatever you took on."
"Thank you."
Ѐ ñ.um̃a
"If anything comes up, come on down anytime."
Ji-hun watched the landlord head into the first-floor unit, then climbed the stairs.
There wouldn't be many more times he'd climb these stairs.
***
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The next morning.
The moment he opened his eyes, Park Ji-hun reached for the phone by his bed, out of habit.
W еbń о̆v̂ e l Е ň um̃а́
He was wiping the sleep from his eyes as he turned on the screen.
An unread message was waiting.
[Web Message]
Ocean Operations Business Team
Deposit
₩200,000,000
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"......They move fast as hell."
He'd only signed the night before, and the money was already in his account.
*****
For more extra chapters, you can check out my Patreon here --> https://patreon.com/enumaid
Konten Bab Belum Tersedia
Bab ini belum memiliki konten teks atau sedang dalam proses penyuntingan.
