Chapter 67:Money and Talent Pour In

   Chapter 67: Entering the Top Rankings (1)

The crash was set to begin on October 5th.

"In that case..."

It looked like buying SQQQ on the 4th would do the trick. Ryu Seong reviewed his journal once more, condensing his plan.

*It’s a bit complicated.*

He needed to organize it as simply as possible. Seong immediately opened a memo app on his phone and drafted a schedule.

**Trading Plan**

 * **October 4:** Buy SQQQ

 * **October 17:** Sell SQQQ, Buy TQQQ

 * **October 22:** Sell TQQQ, Buy SQQQ

 * **November 7:** Sell SQQQ, Buy TQQQ

This was much cleaner.

"Perfect."

Now, all he had to do was trade according to the plan. Since he still had some time, he figured he could focus on clearing the special link quests by writing his web novel in the meantime. For now, his immediate goal was to get promoted to the "General Serialization" tier.

"I’ve got a decent backlog of chapters."

To be promoted to General Serialization, one had to post daily until the 15th chapter. With 9 chapters already uploaded, he decided to pick up the pace.

Though some said the impact of "stacking" chapters (uploading multiple at once) was lower, he prioritized the promotion and immediately uploaded Chapter 10. After posting, he opened the file he was currently working on.

He was in the middle of Chapter 19.

It was a scene where the protagonist encounters an actor who had been part of his agency before he regressed. Back then, the actor had been a seasoned veteran, but right now, he was scraping by, performing in plays at Daehak-ro near Hyehwa Station.

Naturally, his skills weren't what they used to be.

However, he still shone.

With a little polishing, that brilliance would be revealed to the public much sooner than in the original timeline. The problem was the protagonist’s current situation; he was still just a low-level manager at an agency.

"For now, I'll just build a connection. I'll recruit him once I start my own company."

The words flowed effortlessly.

He wrote the process of becoming friends—depicting the actor’s struggles and the passion that refused to let go of his dreams.

> *"Hyung-nim, thank you."*

> *"No, I’m not just saying that. You’re really going to be a star. And not just any star—a superstar."*

> *"I hope so."*

> *"I'm telling you, it’s going to happen."*

> *"Heh."*

> *"So... come work with me later."*

> *"Huh? Oh, man, what a joke."*

> *"I don't joke about things like this."*

> 

He infused the dialogue with anticipation.

The actor acted as if it were impossible, while the protagonist spoke with absolute certainty. That contrast would create tension and excitement for the readers, who already knew the actor was destined for greatness.

How would the actor feel about the protagonist who stayed by his side during his darkest days once he reached the top? What kind of picture would they paint as he grew within the protagonist’s agency?

Just imagining it made Seong feel good. The images became concrete, and satisfaction naturally seeped into the scene.

*Click-clack-clack.*

During this burst of "writing muscle" inspiration, Seong churned out over 10,000 characters. After finishing the session with immense focus, he began proofreading the draft.

"Hmm."

Today, he couldn't find anything to fix. He was quite satisfied.

At that same moment, Seong's web novel was becoming a hot topic. As soon as Chapter 10 went up, someone had recommended his story.

> **Nickname:** Go-O-Su (Expert)

> **Title:** Recommending a novel for you all ^^

> **Content:** I found a novel I really like lately, so I’m sharing it. This is only my third recommendation since I started using Moontopia. First, the story is...

> 

That "someone" was none other than 'Go-O-Su,' a legendary fixture of the Moontopia community.

 * **└ Wait, THIS person... wrote a recommendation?**

 * **└ Is this for real?**

 * **└ Omg, I'm going to read it right now!!**

 * **└ Uh, is something wrong with my eyes? Let me check again... yep, the nickname is definitely Go-O-Su. Wait, where are my glasses... damn, it’s actually him? Holy crap!**

 * **└ First time seeing a recommendation from this guy LOL.**

 * **└ He's only recommended three times? I need to look up the others.**

 * **└ Wow, I checked his last two recommendations. They both started slow but ended up being massive hits later on!**

 * **└ Today is a historic day.**

At first, people were shocked just by the fact that he had written a post. But slowly, the atmosphere began to shift.

 * **└ Wow, this novel is insane...**

 * **└ I was already reading this, it’s legit fun. Verified.**

 * **└ Seriously good!**

 * **└ Only 10 chapters in, but it definitely feels like a masterpiece.**

 * **└ The immersion... holy cow.**

 * **└ The story isn't anything super unique, but for some reason, it’s incredibly addictive haha.**

 * **└ I didn't realize... I liked this kind of story...**

The readers began to focus on the work itself.

They were thrilled. It was only natural, as they had encountered a high-quality work—perhaps even a masterpiece—for the first time in a long while. Naturally, the hype began to spill over into various other web novel message boards.

 * **└ It’s not that great, honestly.**

 * **└ Below average.**

 * **└ To the two guys above: t

astes can differ, but the way you’re talking is a bit much... lol.**

* **└ Wonder how jealous they must be, lol.**

 * **└ It’s kind of sad...**

 * **└ Honestly, even if it’s not your usual style, this is worth reading.**

Aside from a few people bitter with envy, most of the reactions were overwhelmingly positive.

 * **└ You HAVE to read this, I recommend it too!**

 * **└ It's good, for sure...**

 * **└ I don't usually like revenge stories, but the character is so cool that I got totally sucked in!**

 * **└ For real lol.**

 * **└ How do I put it? I never thought revenge could be portrayed in such a stylish way haha.**

 * **└ *Kuuu*, this is great!**

Thanks to the buzz, the novel's view count began to skyrocket at a terrifying speed.

For the first time in a while, Ryu Seong spent the late evening eating grilled pork belly and drinking soju with Lee Shin-woo.

"Man, menu development is done, and the interior design is all finished."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. We’re opening soon, so make sure you drop by."

"Of course I will."

"Hehe, I feel great. Let's drink!"

"Cheers!"

Seong returned home quite drunk and fell into a deep sleep the moment he hit the bed.

"Ugh..."

When he finally managed to open his eyes, the sun was already high in the sky.

*Oof, my head.*

He staggered into the living room, where his mother had prepared some "hangover soup" (haejangguk).

"Eat this and pull yourself together."

"Uuugh..."

As the hot soup went down, he felt his stomach settle.

*Whew, I’m alive.*

Afterward, as he flopped onto the living room sofa, Lucky approached him.

"Aw, Lucky, you're here?"

*Nyaaaa.*

He picked up a toy mouse lying on the side of the sofa and played with him for a bit.

*Nyaang! Nya!*

Lucky pounced and bounced around like a tiny predator. While they were playing, his mother brought out some sliced fruit.

"Eat some of this while you play."

"Ooh, Apple Mangoes today?"

"They looked delicious."

They were said to be mangoes that tasted like apples, though he couldn't really tell the difference. Regardless, they were incredibly, ridiculously delicious.

"Fruits are so expensive these days, I swear."

"Yeah, fruit prices are a bit crazy."

"This single one cost over 20,000 won. 20,000!"

"Wait, 20,000 won? For this one?"

"Yes."

"Oof..."

Despite the shock, his fork didn't stop moving.

When he popped a slice of the mango into his mouth, a refreshing yet sweet flavor spread across his palate. It was exquisite.

He glanced at Lucky, but strangely enough, the cat showed no interest in human food. Eating something so tasty made him feel a bit guilty.

"Hmm, Lucky."

*Nyaaa?*

"Is there anything you want?"

*Nyaaa!*

Seong chatted with Lucky while petting him, and his mother, overhearing, chimed in.

"What was that stuff... catnip? I heard cats go crazy for that."

"Catnip?"

Why hadn't he thought of that?

"Mom, thank you!"

"Are you going to buy some?"

"Yeah, I'm buying it right now."

Seong immediately searched for catnip on his phone and made the purchase. It didn't cost much, and it would likely arrive in two or three days.

"Lucky, just wait a few days. I’m going to show you a whole new world."

*Nyaaaa...?*

Sensing a strange vibe, Lucky backed away and began attacking his doll on the floor instead.

*Nyaaang! Nyang!*

It was a mystery how the cat could be so cute every single day.

Since Lucky was busy playing on his own, Seong took another bite of the apple mango and picked up his smartphone. He tapped the Moontopia app at the bottom of the screen.

*It’ll probably be about the same.*

Even though he knew there wouldn't be a massive change, he was too curious to help himself. Since he had checked yesterday and this was his first time looking today, maybe the views had increased by a few dozen.

With a small flutter of anticipation, he looked at the main screen. The first thing he saw was the "Today’s Best" rankings.

Since he didn't expect to be in the Top Rankings yet, he was about to go straight to his personal library, but his eyes caught a title that made him freeze.

*Wait, what was that...?*

He felt like he had seen a very familiar title.

*No, there’s no way.*

It was so impossible that he was convinced he had misseen it. After all, that spot was the main banner showcasing the Today’s Best ranks 1 through 12.

And yet... curiosity is a powerful thing.

*Is it just a similar title?*

*That would be annoying in its own way.*

"Hmm."

The moment he turned his gaze back to the screen, an involuntary shout escaped his lips.

"Huuu-whaaa?!"

"Geez! Son, you scared the life out of me!"

"Oh, uh, sorry..."

"What is it? What happened?"

"Nothing, it's just... I've been writing a novel as a hobby lately."

"Oh? A novel too?"

"Yeah. But, uh... the views went up quite a bit."

"Oh my, is that so?"

"Yeah, let me just check this for a second."

He stared at the smartphone screen again.

**10th.** The Monster Who Swallowed the Irregular

**11th.** Dreaming of Being an Actor: In Regression

**12th. Managem

ent Embracing the Stars**

His work was ranked at number 12.

His fingers began to tremble.

As he tapped the screen to open his work, the view count for the latest chapter was the first thing to catch his eye.

**10. Management Embracing the Stars (Ch. 10)**

**Views: 4,622 | Recommendations: 267 | Comments: 37**

The view count for Chapter 10, the most recent update, was a staggering 4,622. He scrolled down to see the stats for the first and second chapters at the bottom of the list.

**2. Management Embracing the Stars (Ch. 2)**

**Views: 5,453 | Recommendations: 296 | Comments: 23**

**1. Management Embracing the Stars (Ch. 1)**

**Views: 5,626 | Recommendations: 305 | Comments: 25**

The views were substantial, and the reader retention rate was incredible. For a moment, he wondered if the system had glitched or if there was some kind of error, but that wasn't the case. He spotted a post in the "Reader Recommendations" section at the top of the page.

One click told him everything.

The reader: **Go-O-Su.**

This was all happening because a Moontopia "named" user had recommended his work. It was generating an unbelievable amount of hype.

"…This is huge."

As hard as it was to believe, that wasn't the end of it. Dozens of readers had sent substantial donations, and his inbox was flooded with contact inquiries from various agencies, management firms, and publishers.

**Subject: This is KM King Ent!**

**Message:** Hello, Author NewFe! I am sending this message in a hurry after reading your current series, ‘Management Embracing the Stars’! I was deeply impressed by how seamlessly you handled the regression and the vow for revenge right from Chapter 1! Since then, your ability to highlight the protagonist's character has provided a black-hole-like immersion…

Every single one of them was filled with praise and offers for a contract.

"Is this… for real?"

Seong muttered to himself, checking the screen over and over.

It was all real. No matter how many times he looked, the facts didn't change.

Actually, one thing *did* change. The views, bookmarks, recommendations, and comments were steadily increasing with every refresh.

Of course, he had been confident. The "Writing Muscle" talent was a choice dictated by a 500-point Destiny Tarot Card, after all. Still, he hadn't expected to blow up this quickly. He had told himself he wouldn't care even if there was no reaction until at least Chapter 25.

*Whew, stay calm.*

He decided to look at the situation objectively. Everything was great, but he had to recognize that this was only the beginning.

"It's only Chapter 10."

There was still a long, arduous journey toward the finale.

"I need to write even harder."

Investing three hours a day wasn't difficult. He could wake up, exercise, write in the morning, eat lunch, and study the stock market in the afternoon. Even then, he still had enough time left over for his daily walks.

Gathering his thoughts, he looked back at the contact messages. He definitely needed to sign a contract. Since he had started writing, moving to a paid serialization was the natural next step.

The only problem was: which of these many companies should he choose?

How are you liking t

he story's progression so far?

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If you want to read advance chapters, you can go to my Kofi page.👉Money and talent pour in