"Everyone knows that swimming is not the most popular sport, like baseball or football, where you can get a stable annual salary. As a last resort, there is prize money, the amount of which is not so large. At least in the United States and Australia, swimming competitions are held on a regular basis, but not in Korea. And the Olympic pension is ridiculously low. If you have been training so hard since childhood, then I would like to hope that you will be able to eat comfortably for the rest of your life after retirement. Isn't that what every parent wants?

"Of course," Jihon nodded in agreement.

Although his answer was very laconic, he understood Mrs. Shim like no other. After all, he is a former swimmer, and now an employee of an athlete support company. Perhaps all the families of child athletes felt the same way.

"I wanted Jaekyung to work with Kava on favorable terms," Ms. Shim sighed, "but they insisted on him participating in the Olympics."

"Excuse me, ma'am, I was debating whether to ask you or not," Jihong interjected cautiously, "but why did Kwon Jaekyung withdraw from the competition?"

"He wants to leave the voyage for good, ending it before the end of this year," she said.

"Why?" Is there something wrong with his physical health...?

– No, injuries have nothing to do with it. From the very beginning, its main goal was the Grand Slam. He planned to end his career as soon as he reached it.

It sounded as if the tournament was the most important variable in this equation, and if it had been held next year, Jaekyung would still be swimming.

"No one can overcome his stubbornness. Kava asked me to reason with my son, but he never listens to others. He agreed to all my demands regarding signing a contract with an agency and filming in commercials, but I can't force Jaekyung to stay in the big sport.

Of course, everything was as she said. But given her personality, Ms. Shim definitely tried to talk him out of it at least 20 times.

"Both sides stand their ground. As a result, there was no choice but to contact a third-party organization. To be honest, I didn't think it would be Spoin, because the amount of support provided is a little different from the rest. To be honest, the fee offered is too low...

"I understand...

Jihon bowed his head, feeling ashamed. He thought the company had set a decent amount. How much did others offer then? Did they try to lure Kwon Jae-kyung away by selling all the available real estate? Once again, he realized how strong the greed and greed of everyone in the industry was towards Kwon Jaekyung. However, Spoin, leaving the competition behind, successfully coped with the task. It is scary to imagine what a fuss will arise if the details of their cooperation come to light.

"I was a little surprised when I heard the news of Jaekyung's return to the country ahead of schedule. But when I learned about his intention to participate in advertising campaigns, I was able to put the whole puzzle together in my head.

"Ah, yes," Mrs. Shim said, raising her cup of tea again.

"As I understand it, Kwon Jae-kyung only wanted to star in three commercials.

"Yes, I was the one who persuaded him," Mrs. Shim replied as she took a sip of her tea. "When he said that he would sign a contract with Spoin and advertise the brands as much as necessary, leaving everything up to you, I wondered how you were able to convince my son."

"No, I didn't do anything," Jihon replied with a polite smile, feeling a little embarrassed. "It's just that Kwon Jae-kyung assessed the whole situation well."

"This is the most incredible. He never even pretended to listen to the representatives of Kava, who had tried to influence his decision dozens of times.

Suddenly, Jihong remembered the upset employee's conversation on the phone at the hotel. For the first time he felt a little sorry for them.

"A large number of advertising offers will only play into his hands, and the fee will only be a pleasant bonus.

It seemed that Mrs. Shim was not going to hide her own intentions. She has repeatedly heard how she uses her son for profit. It is much easier to conduct an open dialogue, because her main task is to earn more money for her son and, after consulting with the company, make the busiest schedule. From an agency's point of view, it is more effective to work with those who clearly state their goals. And a greedy person is more likely to dodge answers. It is better to negotiate on the shore from the very beginning. Thus, employees will help with the organization, satisfying the requirements of the athlete as much as possible, reducing the likelihood of a conflict of interest to zero.

"Apparently, Jaekyung wants to make a deal as soon as possible. I think it was discussed that you would bring the contract on Friday, right? If you have a draft ready, send me an email, as editing and making edits can drag out the process until next week. If we fully agree on everything, we will be able to sign it on the spot.

Mrs. Shim has always remained a person with an active life position. Jihon had been amazed at the lady's strong-willed character ten years ago, and now, finding himself in the same boat with her, he found her actions truly impressive.

In fact, drawing up a contract does not take much time, as there is a template. However, the process of reviewing documents during the discussion can complicate the situation. Yes, it is possible to sign it in two or three days, but usually it takes several months, or even more. However, he hoped that everything would take place on Kwon Jaekyung's appointed date.

"Thank you for your trust, ma'am, we will do our best to achieve the best results. I am at your complete disposal," Jihon sincerely assured her.

                                                                                                            ***

On Friday, seven people from Spoin gathered at the Jamsil Hotel. The meeting was attended by CEO Kang Daejin, Assistant Head of Marketing Yoon Jihong, Head of Strategic Support Jin Gisuk, Head of Management Team Lee Yujeong and three other lawyers. One of which was owned by Spoin, and the other two specialized in agency-related matters and were brought in by Director Kan from outside. Since he was accompanied by not one, but three lawyers, Jihong came to several conclusions: first, CEO Kang was under a lot of pressure, second, he did not fully trust the athlete, and third, the CEO was determined to sign the contract on the same day.

Perhaps the other side was in solidarity with him. In addition to Kwon Jae-kyung, his mother, and the head of Choi's department, there was another unfamiliar face - a lawyer sent to check all the terms of the deal. Jihong could assume the true attitude of the federation. They, to put it mildly, were dissatisfied. It seemed that they wanted to find flaws and change Jaekyung's mind. There was only one reason why the federation disliked Spoin. It's no secret that with the successful cooperation of Kwon Jae-kyung with the Kava agency, they will receive their percentages. If a global sports star signs a contract with Korea's largest company, isn't it beneficial for both parties? In the end, everything was done exclusively for the athletes, and together they helped each other.

General Manager Kang, of course, was aware of this fact, so as soon as he sat down, he immediately took out the contract, firmly stating, "As I said, we agreed everything in advance with Ms. Shim." Jaekyong accepted the papers without any hesitation, casually turning the pages, and before reaching the last one, he immediately handed the documents to his mother.

"Here, see for yourself."

Ms. Shim carefully studied the content and subject matter of the contract, and the head of the department, Choi, and the lawyer read it afterwards. Spoin employees were nervously watching what was happening, when suddenly Jaekyung, getting up from the couch, said: "Hyung, let's talk."