The conclusion of an official contract with Kwon Jaekyung was not limited to just a profit in the form of interest for advertising, rather it was just an additional income. Cooperation with such an outstanding athlete completely changed the status of the company in the entire industry, thanks to which other athletes will also be drawn to Spoin, because Kwon Jaekyung himself preferred them.

In addition, even if Kwon Jaekyung refuses to participate in the filming, paying a large down payment will not be a loss, but an excellent investment. If the fee were considered not as an advance, but as a salary for participation in advertising campaigns, then all costs would quickly pay off. In addition, he can become an ambassador of the agency, which will bring additional profit. However, Jaekyung agreed to star in commercials as much as necessary.

In the current situation, it is very stupid not to sign a contract with him. If financing the company is not someone's hobby that does not exist for the sake of income, then you should sign the contract urgently, no matter what. And it doesn't matter what kind of person he is: even a maniac who killed your parents.

"The contract term is two years, is that correct?" asked CEO Kahn, seemingly making a final decision.

"Since he says he wants a large down payment, he will probably also pay attention to the length of the agreement and the amount of support to be provided, sir. I'll double-check the data before finalizing it.

— Yes, it is better to clarify all the details in advance than to waste time on corrections later.

He then wondered if the situation was causing Jihon any inconvenience.

"Are you sure you can handle it, Mr. Jeong?"

Jihong couldn't even smile back, but only sighed heavily. After all, his opinion does not matter at all. And attempts to find the cause of their own anxiety were unsuccessful. First of all, he is an employee who receives a salary here, so he will have to endure, gritting his teeth.

"Of course I'm fine, sir.

"But when I asked you before if there was a department in which you preferred to work, I heard that anyone would do, except for the management department.

It seemed that the director was trying to get into Jihon's thoughts by talking in a veiled way about another topic. It's true that Jihong turned down a management assignment when he first got a job. The reason for this was his lack of self-confidence. He believed that the direct management of athletes and their promotion should be carried out by a person with a highly developed sense of responsibility and a strong character. His opinion has not changed to this day, but he decided not to dwell on it, since the new appointment will be short-term. Ji-heong planned to quit as soon as he felt that Jae-kyung had settled into the Spoin team. By that time, the Pan-Asian competitions will have already ended, and the athlete will retire from the sport, as he wanted.

"I was a rookie then and I lacked confidence. However, I learned a lot while working with athletes at the Asian Games last year. At that time, I was following the management team, constantly interacting with them. I think I can do it now," Jihong said confidently.

"Indeed, when you get into the field, it doesn't seem so difficult anymore," CEO Kahn nodded affirmatively, feeling a little relieved. He clenched his palms convulsively in an attempt to distract himself before moving on to the topic that interested him.

Will you be comfortable working with Kwon Jae-kyung? If you become a member of his team, you will have to follow him everywhere.

"Not at all, sir," Jihon shrugged, "as I said, yesterday's incident was just a misunderstanding between us."

Understanding the CEO's worries, he decided not to delay with explanations. Kwon Jae-kyung is a very unsociable and distant person, but he is not someone who insults or humiliates others. Jihong met with him to clarify all the accumulated issues, and then they began to discuss various topics, which led them to talk about cooperation. After the detailed description of the events, the CEO's expression softened noticeably.

- I see. I am glad that everything was resolved. Wait, but why did he even bring up such a sensitive topic? Couldn't he have behaved more tactfully?

"You don't know him, sir. This guy has no communication skills at all," Jihon softened all his words as much as possible, formulating a conclusion, "which was the reason for such misconceptions."

"Oh my God," CEO Kang sighed as he tapped on the armrest of the sofa, "okay. If you don't mind, then we have no reason to refuse. I am sure that everything will be fine."

CEO Kang, as always, decided that anyone, even a high school student, could appear in front of him in three seconds as soon as he had questions at the level of the national crisis. He stood up briskly, giving instructions: "Urgently inform Department Head Jin and Team Leader Lee to come to the conference room immediately, and also call the senior manager, and each and every employee of the company's legal department."

After a while, everyone gathered in the conference room. When he announced that Kwon Jae-kyung had decided to sign a contract with their company, the employees simultaneously expressed their disbelief.

"Kwon Jaekyung, sir?" The same Kwon Jaekyung?

And on the faces you could read: "There must be another athlete with the same name that we don't know about" - no one could even imagine that the same Kwon Jaekyung would cooperate with them.

"What kind of Kwon Jaekyung?! Of course, swimmer Kwon Jaekyung!" - General Manager Kang confirmed his words by tapping on the table. Colleagues, perplexed, looked at each other.

"Really, sir...?" Will Kwon Jaekyung really make a pact with us? It's true?

"What about Kava?" Isn't he already working with them?

"Mr. Kang, did you personally meet and discuss this with him?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kahn. You've seen Kwon Jaekyung, right? It wasn't a video call, was it?

- What is this new type of fraud?

Jihong himself began to worry, looking at the reaction of others, which was permeated only with doubts and fright, and not with the joy of possible cooperation with the largest athlete in the industry. He belatedly realized Spoin's true level.

"Will our company, which has no money, no power, and no backing, be able to deal with Kwon Jae-kyung? What if he asks to terminate all agreements in three days? We need to prepare all the papers carefully," he was tormented by his own thoughts, and it seemed that his head was about to explode.

Unaware of Jihong's concern, CEO Kang proudly patted him on the shoulder and continued, "Mr. Chung has put in a lot of effort. It may seem crazy to you, but Kwon Jaekyung is a very loyal person. He said he would sign a contract with his sombe's company, and he didn't care how favorable the terms would be."

"Actually, he didn't say anything like that. Jihong was embarrassed and tried to correct the director, "It's all about Mr. Kan's personal qualities, not my connections."

However, the staff had already gotten down to business and started the meeting: "Oh, I see. Athletes, after all, are very loyal people. Let's make Jung Ji-hong our honorary worker from now on," and everyone clapped in agreement at the same time. Jihong suddenly wanted to leave the conference room, at that moment his mobile phone miraculously rang. He gladly looked at the number of the savior who had rescued him from trouble. But when he read the name on the screen, he immediately froze: the benefactor turned out to be Mrs. Shim.

                                                                                                         ***

"Did you want to discuss something about the contract with Jaekyung?"

"No, ma'am, not that," Jihong replied quickly. He wanted to explain to her the real reason for the meeting, but all these uncomfortable topics related to the secondary sex, pheromones, chip, and smell would be inappropriate to mention during the consideration of possible cooperation. He didn't want to increase the number of her wrinkles by making her nervous once again.

"In any case, I'm sorry, ma'am. I should have warned you beforehand.

Jihong decided to put aside all delicate matters for a while and apologize. He sat alone, with his head bowed, in the hotel's crowded cafeteria, surrounded by fresh flowers and elegant classical music, which made Jihong feel like the hero of the painting. He couldn't help but think that he had become a treacherous villain, manipulating her innocent son. If, in addition, Mrs. Shim had asked, "What tricks did you seduce him with?" it would definitely have looked like a scene from a melodrama. But, fortunately, she did not say anything of the kind.

— No, I don't. This is entirely Jaekyung's decision. It will be right if you talk to him first.

Despite her words, Mrs. Shim still looked unhappy. As Jihong pondered the answer, she tried to express her concern, "To be honest, I'm a little dumbfounded. How could it be otherwise? My kid, who had just gone to training, suddenly came back and said he was going to sign with Spoin. I'm just trying to figure out why."

"Well... I think he doesn't just avoid communicating with strangers, he is also incapable of having an open conversation with his loved ones," Jihon thought.

Mrs. Shim continued, "You're not the company that pushed for it. I didn't know about your agency until yesterday. And Jaekyung wasn't even interested in the last meeting."

"Yes, I perfectly understand your surprise, ma'am," Jihong calmly agreed. Mrs. Shim's feelings did not come as a surprise to him. And the news that Jakyon poured out on her right from the doorway, of course, seemed to her complete absurdity.

"Here's your order: black tea and iced Americano," the cafeteria worker arranged the drinks. After taking a sip and putting down her cup, Mrs. Shim spoke in a softer tone, "After all, I think he'll be better off in your company than anywhere else, Mr. Jihong. Maybe that's why Jaekyung decided to cooperate with you," she leaned wearily against the back of the sofa, taking a comfortable position, and her expression became more relaxed.

"As you may have noticed, it was my stubbornness that prompted Jaekyung to think about working with the agency. After all, if he decides to star in several commercials before his resignation, then it is better to entrust them with all the work.

Mrs. Shim was silent for a moment, and then a short sigh escaped her lips.