3. Min Woosung was skeptical.

“Can you really make it a permanent lease?”

What’s difficult about it? If it can keep one Returnee quiet for a while, it’s a good deal. “Even though you bought the urgent sale property for 4.5 billion, are you really okay with just giving it away for free? A 120-pyeong mansion site that cost that much?”
The one who would have trouble if the mansion site was unavailable was Min Woosung himself, not the National Security Bureau, yet he was astonished that they were willing to give away a property worth 4.5 billion so easily. However, on the other end of the phone, his superior's voice was calm, accompanied by a light chuckle.

Have you ever handled entertainment industry matters for the Association?
“...I can’t disclose that.”
Then listen up. When a celebrity makes a scandal, the first step is to find a reporter. The first article is usually silenced with a bribe ranging from 50 million to 200 million.
Even an Awakener who makes big money easily would find this amount difficult to ignore.
Min Woosung only now realized why reporters were so obsessed with breaking exclusive stories.

‘So the secrets they dig up are worth money.’

For follow-up articles, they’re silenced with 20 million at a time, so let’s say we close around 20 articles with that.
“That’s up to 2.2 billion, then.”
But once the follow-up articles come out, the whole thing will be a waste. We’ll need to shut up the victim and people at the scene with a budget of 2 billion for a clean-up.
“So... it’s already... 4.2 billion?”
This is the cost if the initial response works, but if it turns into a legal dispute, the litigation fees or damages due to lost commercial deals will add more.
The calculation was already complete.

“4.5 billion is comfortably exceeded.”

This happens when a top-tier celebrity from a large entertainment company causes a huge scandal. In that case, you’re looking at two more digits.
“Four... four and a half billion...!”
How important and influential a person is depends on perspective. Children might evaluate someone’s importance based on their actions or character, but adults view things differently. Adults measure importance with numbers and metrics.

‘It feels like I’ve become the type of adult I didn’t want to be, the one from The Little Prince who only sees numbers instead of people.’

Min Woosung, hearing the figure of 4.5 billion, realized the sheer magnitude of Hae Eung-eung’s worth and was somewhat embarrassed by his earlier surprise.

The 5-year lease is just a collar around the Returnee's neck, hoping it can control them for a while. If it gets chewed off, it’s just a small trap to discard.
The bold scale of using 4.5 billion as a collar made Min Woosung realize who he was cooperating with.
Having grown up, it wasn’t the naïve innocence of a child, but the objective reality of the world that struck him.

That said, we can't just make a meaningless move. Make sure you tell them that you negotiated the permanent lease successfully.
The negotiation was already done.
The five-year lease was changed to a permanent one after Min Woosung's convincing.

“Wow~ This entire large place will be our guild office? And for free??”
“Min Woosung, your negotiation skills are impressive. From now on, you can take care of our guild’s business negotiations.”
“Damn, I hope I’m not stuck doing Jumping Rabbit entertainment from now on…”

Though one person showed fear more than discontent, the reactions from the guild members were mostly positive.
Even Hae Eung-eung, the guild leader, couldn’t help but praise him.

[Thank you. This has significantly reduced the financial strain.]
“Haha. I had to show off my skills a bit. By the way, if it’s okay with you, could I recommend some staff members for the guild?”

Min Woosung’s bold proposal to plant spies from the National Security Bureau within the guild’s staff!
He was sure that after doing something big like this, Hae Eung-eung would have no reason to reject the staff suggestion.
However, much to his surprise, Hae Eung-eung shook her head.

[Staffing isn’t necessary.]
“What? Didn’t you secure extra funds?”
[Some people offered to help.]

At that moment, people started crowding around the mansion site.
They were acquaintances of Hae Eung-eung and Joo Ah-young.

“I heard you’re starting a guild, teacher! Ah-young told me!”
“You don’t need to pay me, but if you’ll teach me martial arts, I’ll cover the tuition fee!”
“I’ve kept the posture you taught me, and it’s really improved. I want you to see how well I’ve developed!”

These were trainees from the Awakener Academy, soon to be guild members.
They had come on their own, about thirty people in total.
Not just those who had been trained by her, but friends who heard the news came along as well.
It was an amazing scene in itself, but Hae Eung-eung was not done yet.

[I'll teach martial arts. But for Haenampa to function, we need staff for administration and practical work.]

“I can help with the admin work if I get to learn from you!”
“I know how to use accounting programs!”
“I can help with official documents and notary work!”
“I’ve done a lot of mining work on the side!”
“I have a driver’s license, so if you're forming a transport team, I can drive!”

The trainees, who had built up various skills to survive in a competitive society, could perform most of the roles the guild needed.
Even those who had no skills were eager to learn and teach, making them rare talents in this day and age.

[From today, you are all members of Haenampa.]

“Wow! Thank you, teacher!”
“Here’s my tuition fee for the next three months!”

Instead of being paid to work, they were paying to learn martial arts and help with the guild’s operations.
Min Woosung, seeing this, was genuinely terrified.

‘This can’t be real. They must be under some hypnosis... Could it be that Hae Eung-eung’s whole identity is a false persona created through hypnosis?’

What if the first Awakener hadn’t died?
What if they escaped using hypnosis, only to return for revenge?
Min Woosung’s fearful report made its way to the National Security Bureau, sending shockwaves through the entire organization for some time.

4. Myeongho Guild Headquarters Building
10F CEO Office

Shin Seong-gwak, who had originally only held an honorary position as a general manager, had personally stepped in after seeing the foolish behavior of the 3rd generation Awakeners.
He had taken it upon himself to reform the guild, destroying all the factions within the 3rd generation Awakeners.

“If it’s not Shin Seong-gwak, no one else can lead this guild.”
“We all agree. Please don’t hit us. Do you know how painful it is to have our bones ache at our age?”

The board, which had physically acknowledged Shin Seong-gwak’s leadership, unanimously agreed on his appointment as the temporary CEO of Myeongho Guild.
He had become the temporary leader, replacing the guild leader and deputy guild leader, aiming to restore Myeongho Guild.

“When will that old man leave?”
“I’m going crazy. He’s making us pay back the bribes we took, and we can’t even use them anymore.”
“I really wish he’d just go away.”

While the board members cursed him every day, hoping for his death, the mid-level managers, on the other hand, were praying for his long life.

“Since the CEO took over, the guild has become much cleaner.”
“Everyone who used to operate based on connections has been kicked out. It feels so refreshing.”
“I hope it continues like this.”

Shin Seong-gwak, who had been cutting through the guild's corruption with great effort, was being recognized by those below him.
However, despite his good intentions, things were not so simple.

“Did the trainees leave the guild? Is that true?”
“It’s true. I’ve ignored the reports, but I wanted to deliver this directly because it involves Jeon Hyun-do’s family and the academy head.”
“Good job. Don’t worry about the aftermath. From today, Jeon Hyun-do’s involvement with the guild is over.”

Shin Seong-gwak immediately removed the corruption within the guild.
But the real problem lay in the healthy sprouts that had already been severed.

“Assistant, find out if other guilds stole the trainees, or if it’s because the academy head embezzled funds. We need to know immediately.”

If it was the academy head’s embezzlement, removing them would solve the issue, and the trainees would return.
The problem was if they had been taken by other guilds.

“Did the trainees go to another guild?”
“It’s a guild called Haenampa.”
“I’ve never heard of it. Take me there.”

Shin Seong-gwak, with his assistant, was now determined to raid this insolent guild that had dared to meddle with Myeongho Guild.

“Sometimes, there are these bastards. They show their fangs like wolves when a local guild shakes, not even knowing their place.”
“Are you sure you don’t need support?”
“Weaklings just get in the way. I’ll teach them a lesson myself. If they don’t come to their senses, I’ll destroy their office completely.”

Determined to teach a lesson to the arrogant guild that had touched his trainees, Shin Seong-gwak set off, but something about the path felt strangely familiar.

“This feels like going home.”
“I can really feel the results of my driving lessons. Thank you, CEO.”
“Really? You’ve learned to drive very well.”

Shin Seong-gwak initially thought the driver was just praising his driving skills, but as the scenery outside became too familiar, he realized something odd.

“Wait... this is really my house, isn’t it?”

The place where his mansion once stood, just recently sold in a fire sale, now had the sign for Haenampa.
Trainees from Myeongho Guild’s Awakener Academy were coming and going under the Haenampa sign.

“These insolent bastards. How dare they turn my house, which is the property of an executive of Myeongho Guild, into their guild office and even steal my trainees?”

Veins popped from Shin Seong-gwak’s forehead.

“This won’t do. I didn’t want to touch anyone, but I can’t let this slide. I’ll make an example of their guild leader.”

Shin Seong-gwak stepped boldly across Haenampa’s threshold.