To China
Generos CEO's office.
Jin Seo-hee slumped deep into her chair.
A full nine hours of an endless marathon meeting.
"Haa…"
By the end of it, she felt completely drained, body and soul.
She did this every week—so why was it still impossible to get used to?
And the hallmark of meetings like this: they never reach a conclusion.
Why are they so bad at business?
Generos was Genex's mid-range brand subsidiary.
They took Genex's materials and produced equipment for low- to mid-level players, but their performance had been so poor that Jin Seo-hee had been newly appointed as CEO.
— I'll revive the company.
She'd declared that boldly to Chairman Jin Tae-gon.
But even after repeated meetings, not a single answer had come into view.
Ha… ridiculous.
A store this big selling only one or two items a day.
It was almost unbelievable.
At this point, it wasn't that they couldn't sell—more like they were refusing to.
Is selling this gear here even the right strategy?
She swept her hair back, sighing deeply.
Every retailer Generos currently worked with was some high-end department store or a famous location with premium foot traffic.
Prime location meant expensive rent.
And with that cost baked into the product price, the term "mid-range brand" had become meaningless—everything was overpriced.
Worse yet, the shop owners had no intention of actually selling their products.
Most only accepted Generos stock because they didn't want to fall out of favor with Genex's other high-end subsidiary brands.
Her older sister, Jin Seo-jung, who held the CEO position before her, had insisted Generos only deal with well-known, prestigious stores.
That stubborn pride had created this monstrous, dysfunctional mess.
Where am I supposed to find the right vendor now?
Last time, she'd tried negotiating with Dongdaemun, where beginner players flocked, but that went horribly.
A near–local cartel of merchants had locked horns with the Generos negotiation team, demanding absurd terms.
Seo-hee, not one to tolerate nonsense, had flipped the negotiation table and walked out.
Just one. One perfect store is all I need.
She didn't need many.
Just one ridiculously competent, insanely skilled retailer, and she'd finally be able to breathe.
If only such talent would drop out of the sky.
"Should I start believing in some religion or something…"
She shrugged and pulled out her phone from the drawer.
Nine hours without checking—no wonder the notifications were stacked sky-high.
# Hello, VIP customer Jin Seo-hee. Thank you for using Pellid today.
She herself had never been there, so it must have been Jinhyuk using the voucher.
A faint smile touched her lips.
It felt oddly rewarding, seeing him put the gift to good use.
What did he buy, I wonder?
Just before opening the department store app, a card-payment alert caught her eye.
"Huh?"
Her body shot upright on instinct.
The number was that unexpected.
How many zeros is that…?
She squinted and counted carefully.
Nine zeros.
Five billion won.
The voucher was worth five billion, meaning he'd bought an item that cost ten billion won.
"Wow."
A disbelieving laugh escaped her.
This guy spent money far more boldly than she had imagined.
I've never even bought something worth ten billion…
She was the one who told him to pick whatever he wanted, so she couldn't exactly demand a refund.
She'd just chalk it up to paying a life-debt.
But if she ever gave him another voucher, she was absolutely setting a spending limit.
Anyway…
She opened Cocoatalk.
Seo-hee bit down softly on her molars.
Still unread.
The notification bubble hadn't disappeared.
As Genex's youngest granddaughter and a well-known influencer, she was used to messages being read instantly—unless the other person had some unavoidable emergency.
This… was unfamiliar territory.
"Tsk."
The fact that an unread message had her clenching her teeth irritated her.
She tossed the phone aside and leaned back again.
It's not his style to intentionally ignore messages.
Which meant he was so busy he couldn't even check Cocoatalk.
Where on earth was he, and what was he doing?
9 p.m.
"Wow."
Jinhyuk let out a low whistle.
Twenty-two-year-old Yoo Jinhyuk: first-time arrival at Incheon International Airport, complete.
"Nice."
He walked slowly, taking in the airport scenery with leisurely admiration.
He'd only ever seen it in dramas. Visiting in person for the first time made everything feel new.
No wonder people travel so much.
No surprise the passport office had been slow.
Even at night, the airport buzzed with travelers.
"Boss-captain. Do I have a seat too?"
"Yeah, on my lap. But you have to stay still."
"Momo asked earlier too. Wanted to know if she has a seat."
"Momo doesn't."
Seira and Momo had both said they wanted to ride a plane.
He'd been ready to splurge on business seats for them, but the remaining seats had sold out.
"Kancho, what are the kids doing right now?"
"Seira is swingin' her wooden sword, sirrr. Dark and Momo are feeding trotters to Ellia."
"And you? …Ah. You already ate."
Kancho's mouth gleamed with oil.
A splash of red broth confirmed he'd thoroughly enjoyed makguksu as well.
Jinhyuk headed toward the counter to check in.
**# Tower climbing inside the airport is strictly prohibited!
Tower climbing inside aircraft is strictly prohibited!**
Seriously?
With a total travel time of eight hours including the layover, he'd hoped to sneak in some tower climbing during breaks.
Unfortunate.
"Checking in, please."
He handed over his passport with trembling anticipation.
He had searched up how to fly and mentally simulated the process hundreds of times.
But being a first-timer, nerves were unavoidable.
"Yes, Mr. Yoo Jinhyuk. Business class—let me process your boarding pass."
While he waited, a stir rose from behind him.
"Wow… isn't that Xiaochen?"
"Really? The Chinese ranker? Why's he at Incheon Airport?"
"No idea. Let's go see. I wanna get a picture."
He glanced back.
He'd heard the name—everyone had.
A high-level ranker currently attempting the 100th-floor zone.
One of the strongest across the vast continent of China.
They say he's terrifying…
Xiaochen was a frequent topic on tower forums.
The greatest hits included:
A martial artist who never smiles.
An old man with an intimidating face.
A temperamental brute who throws punches the moment something displeases him.
A strength-absolutist who doesn't consider the weak to be people.
In short, not someone you casually buddy up with.
"Xiaochen! Please look this way!"
"One autograph!"
"What's the purpose of your visit to Korea? Is this coordinated at a national level?"
A barrage of questions flew, but Xiaochen didn't answer.
With those massive headphones on, it was questionable whether he even heard them.
Being famous never looks easy…
He'd often thought that while watching Jin Seo-hee or Cheon Se-yeon.
Wherever they went, they attracted stares—people desperate to approach, to talk, to sneak a picture.
Xiaochen was probably sick of the same, hence the headphones…
Huh?
Right as the thought crossed his mind, Xiaochen took off his headset and stopped walking.
Then, turning slowly to the crowd, he spoke.
"Quit bothering me and get lost."
…Excuse me?
A heavy silence settled over the onlookers.
Had it gone through an interpreter, things might've been softer.
Unfortunately, ever since the Tower emerged, everyone understood every language.
Xiaochen put his headset back on and walked off as if nothing happened.
His guards tightened their formation, pushing people away.
Despite being insulted, no one complained.
This was Xiaochen—currently attempting the 100th floor.
No one could guess his synchronization rate.
Combined with his notorious temperament, provoking him could easily lead to death.
Scary…
Jinhyuk fixed his gaze forward, avoiding eye contact at all costs.
But then something odd.
Xiaochen's presence, which had been moving away, grew closer.
Until soon, he appeared at the edge of Jinhyuk's peripheral vision.
What? Is he taking this flight too?
With his wealth, why would he not use a private jet?
Maybe he was surprisingly frugal.
"What's he doing? Did that guy cause some incident?"
"Shouldn't someone call the Player Hunter Bureau? This feels dangerous."
The murmurs around him grew.
Even the Korean Air staff paused mid-check-in, watching nervously.
Why…
Jinhyuk narrowed his eyes.
For some reason, Xiaochen had walked right up beside him, standing there with his hands clasped behind his back, staring.
Maybe he was irritated that Jinhyuk had gotten there first?
But he couldn't give up his spot—he had arrived earlier.
Besides, he had a 3,271-year-old elf with him.
Seniority rules? Respect for elders? His side clearly won.
He stared straight ahead, trying to ignore the man—
Tap, tap.
Xiaochen prodded his shoulder.
Only then did Jinhyuk turn.
The rumors were true.
He really did look terrifying.
Even movie gangsters would bow out in comparison.
Xiaochen gave a slight nod, and his guards immediately formed a solid wall, blocking outside views.
Once shielded, Xiaochen removed his headset.
"Who are you? I haven't seen your face before."
"A normal citizen trying to go abroad for the first time."
"Normal?"
As if that were the funniest thing he'd ever heard, Xiaochen barked a laugh.
"If you were the standard for 'normal' in Korea, the country wouldn't be groveling before China like it is now."
Having fought countless strong opponents since childhood—and absurdly powerful monsters up to the 100th floor—Xiaochen could tell at a glance.
This man in front of him was anything but ordinary.
And with this level of power, how had he remained unknown? How could Xiaochen not be intrigued?
"I'm Xiaochen of China. And your name?"
"Yoo Jinhyuk."
A brief, heavy silence.
Xiaochen's secretary shook his head helplessly.
Finding this amusing, Xiaochen glanced at the counter to check the destination.
"Going to Shanghai?"
"Final destination is Lijiang. I'll transfer in Shanghai."
Xiaochen crooked a finger.
"Call the pilot. Tell him we're flying to Lijiang instead. If he agrees, he can take my private jet. I'll take him all the way myself. Much faster. Much more comfortable."
"Should I?"
"…What?"
He was the one offering—yet he was the one startled.
Most people would hesitate, wondering about hidden intentions.
But this guy accepted instantly.
Xiaochen's smile deepened.
So he really doesn't care either way.
"Follow me. I'll handle the departure procedures."
Jinhyuk followed behind with an easy smile.
First meeting, and the man was offering his private jet and a ride straight to Lijiang.
Maybe he was a good grandpa after all.
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T/N:
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