Chapter 70:Money and Talent Pour In

     

                 Chapter 70: The Contract

The CEO of a movie investment platform set down the report he had been reading.

"Hmm. Manager Park."

"Yes, CEO."

"It doesn't seem like there are any noteworthy individuals among our existing investors."

"That is correct, sir."

"Was there no one decent among the new investors either?"

"I’ve flagged a few names for review."

"I'm asking out of personal curiosity."

"Well... since they are new investors, I believe it’s best to observe their movements a bit longer."

"I see."

However, the CEO seemed to have a different opinion.

"Take a look at this person right here."

"Who... ah, this investor."

"Yes. They invested in *War in Seoul* and *When Darkness Falls* at the exact same time. And as soon as they realized their profits, they immediately reinvested into other projects."

"That’s right."

"Isn't that unusual?"

He interlaced his fingers, his eyes gleaming.

"Many people invest. But successful investors are a tiny minority—especially in the film industry. Perhaps that's why investors tend to be cautious. When they make a profit, you usually see evidence of them deliberating for a long time."

That was the textbook approach to investing.

"But look at this person. On the very day they realized their profits, they downloaded the scripts for nine projects and invested every cent they earned into three of them. It’s almost as if... they are absolutely certain of their choices."

The manager remained silent, waiting. He knew this wasn't a question that required an answer.

The CEO’s eyes were already filled with intrigue; in moments like this, the best choice was to step back and wait.

"Coincidentally, all three projects they invested in are ones I’ve personally been keeping an eye on. Truly, a fascinating investor. They’ve caught my attention. Or should I say... I have a gut feeling about them?"

"Then..."

"Keep a close watch on this person. If this investment turns out to be a success as well... I'd like to meet them in person."

"Is it really necessary to go that far?"

The CEO smiled at the manager’s doubt.

"Manager Park, I’m a man of few talents. Yet, I hold the position of CEO. Do you know why? It’s because I have an eye for people. That’s it. Scripts? I don’t know them well. I look at the actors, the directors, and the production companies. But this investor... I get the feeling they are looking at something entirely different from me. Naturally, I want someone like that by my side. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Only then did the manager nod.

"I will monitor them frequently and report back."

"Good. You may leave."

Jang Seok-hyun, the CEO of an investment firm that served as a pillar of the domestic script investment scene, let his eyes shine with anticipation.

I spent the day going around to real estate agencies to find an office.

From morning until evening.

Actually, since it’s a one-person corporation, I didn’t need a prime location. I decided on a spot near my house. Still, I figured it would be better if it were spacious and clean, so I signed a contract for a decent-looking office.

Afterward, I called Kim Il-young, the administrative official at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, to let him know I was ready. I then updated the judicial scrivener I had hired.

I connected the two of them, and thanks to that, the scrivener was set to handle the remaining work smoothly.

— *I'll process this speedily for you.*

"Thank you, truly."

— *Don't mention it. I'm only doing it because there are no issues. I have to make a living too, after all.*

"Of course."

After finishing another call with Kim Il-young, I lay down on my bed.

"Phew, the urgent stuff is mostly out of the way."

I spent some time healing by petting Lucky, who had approached me, and then logged into Moontopia, curious about the status of my work.

> **19. The Merchant Who Sells Stars (Ch. 19)**

> **Views:** 13,812 | **Recommendations:** 1,017 | **Comments:** 86

> 

The view count for the latest chapter was nearing 14,000, and I was ranked 4th on the "Today’s Best" list. Since I was uploading during the most competitive time slot, I hadn't hit 3rd place yet.

"Hmm. The 3rd place views are at 13,917..."

The gap wasn't that large.

A difference of about 105 views or so.

Since the upward trend was still very steep, I figured I could hit 3rd place today considering the remaining time.

With a bit of luck, maybe even 2nd.

"Hehe."

A laugh escaped me involuntarily. I began checking the 86+ comments one by one.

 * **Turtle:** Wow, damn. Why is this so good? T_T

 * **Eiffel Tower:** Next chapter, please give me the next chapter now!

 * **Giraffe:** Looking for someone to find the author's address!

   * **Reply:** Me! lol Let's go find them!

   * **Reply:** Let's find them and lock them up so they only write. lol

   * **Reply:** I'm in!

   * **Reply:** Looks like they're getting canned (forced to write) haha.

 * **Harowa:** Seriously, this is insane...!

 * **Go-Su:** Fun today as well. ^^

 * **Smile:** That last sentence was impressive. Whoa!

I even saw a comment from 'Go-Su,' the famous user who had recommended my story. Though there were some slightly scary comments in the mix, they felt fresh since I'd never encountered such reactions in daily life. It just meant the story was that entertaining.

I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from twitching upward.

"...A lot of people are actually reading this."

The gradually increasing views, recommendations, bookmarks, and comments gave me a subtle sense of accomplishment. Once I fell into that feeling, there was no turning back.

I was truly grateful to all the readers. I felt like dumping my entire stash of advance chapters all at once.

I felt a sudden urge to let the readers know what happens next immediately. Howe

ver, I knew that doing so wouldn't help the view count in the long run.

Even for the sake of maintaining the quality of the writing, that was something I had to restrain myself from. Of course, things might change once I had a sufficient backlog, but for now...

"I should be patient for the time being."

I decided to endure.

It was at that moment.

> **[#15. Enter the Top 3 on Today’s Best.]**

> **[You have reached the Top 3 on Today’s Best.]**

> **[You have earned 2 Good Deed Points.]**

> **[Special Linked Quest Updated.]**

> **[#16. Reach 3rd Place on the Golden Best.]**

> 

As Quest #15 was cleared, I acquired 2 points.

This brought my total to 27 points.

"Next up is the Golden Best."

Currently, the Golden Best ranking for *Management Holding the Stars* was 7th.

Even this was an incredibly fast pace.

If I continued serializing without rushing and waited, I would be able to achieve it soon.

As time passed, the special linked quests were naturally cleared one by one.

> **[#16. Reach 3rd Place on the Golden Best.]**

> **[You have reached 3rd place on the Golden Best.]**

> **[You have earned 2 Good Deed Points.]**

> **[Special Linked Quest Updated.]**

> 

I hit 3rd place on the Golden Best by Chapter 21.

> **[#17. Reach 1st Place on Today’s Best.]**

> **[You have reached 1st place on Today’s Best.]**

> **[You have earned 2 Good Deed Points.]**

> **[Special Linked Quest Updated.]**

> 

I reached 1st place on Today’s Best by Chapter 22.

> **[#18. Reach 1st Place on the Golden Best.]**

> **[You have earned 2 Good Deed Points.]**

> 

And by Chapter 25, I rose to 1st place on the Golden Best.

> **[Special Linked Quest Updated.]**

> **[#19. Reach 20,000 Bookmarks.]**

> 

Currently, the bookmarks were in the 18,000 range, views for the first chapter were in the early 50,000s, and the latest chapter was approaching 30,000. The number of recommendations was also substantial, and comments exceeded 150 per episode.

These were excellent indicators.

It was now time to sign a contract.

In the meantime, more contact messages had poured in, and I had received proposals from a total of 17 places. After filtering through them, I narrowed it down to exactly two.

**Rich Management.**

**S-Books.**

I reached out to the two final choices. I replied to their contact messages and left my phone number. Not long after, a call came from an unknown number.

"Yes, hello?"

— *Hello. Am I speaking with the author, 'NewFace'?*

"Ah, yes."

— *It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Jung Hu-seong, the Team Leader of the Fantasy Department at Rich Management. I called immediately because I was so thrilled as soon as I read your reply.*

"Oh, thank you."

— *We truly want to sign a contract with you. Would it be alright to discuss the details in person?*

"Yes, that’s fine."

— *How about lunch tomorrow? If you let me know your neighborhood, I’ll book a reservation at a good local restaurant in advance.*

"Uh, well then..."

I set an appointment to meet tomorrow at 12:30 PM, and just as I ended the call, another one came in immediately.

"Hello?"

— *Nice to meet you. I am the CEO of S-Books...*

This time it was S-Books, and the CEO had contacted me directly. However, I couldn't break my prior engagement, so I spoke honestly.

"Um, actually, I’m scheduled to meet with someone from another management company for lunch tomorrow."

— *That’s quite alright. It will be helpful for you, Author, to meet several people and hear various perspectives.*

His tone was matter-of-fact.

Because his voice was

 composed and easy on the ears, much of my unease subsided.

— *As you might already know, you must be extremely cautious when it comes to contracts. I believe it's best to talk to as many places as possible. In that sense, if you could meet with us and have a chat...*

"I’d love to."

— *That’s a relief. Then...*

I ended up setting an appointment with S-Books almost on impulse.

Tomorrow evening, then.

Since it wasn't far from home, I decided to visit the S-Books office in person.

"Phew."

I felt like something was finally beginning.

Still, I wasn't worried.

After all, an author is an animal that ultimately lives by the pen. Moreover, the most important thing, in the end, would be the entertainment value of the novel.

I met the team leader from Rich Management during lunch.

"...Our expectations are very high. To be honest, there's a lot of risk involved with a rookie serializing their first work. You never know when the writing might fall apart. That's why, when we sign a contract, we usually propose a 7:3 split. Since it's the industry standard, it's difficult to adjust the ratio at will."

We talked a lot.

About the industry's outlook and vision, and even some fun anecdotes.

It was certainly a productive time.

However, the disappointing part was the realization that to Team Leader Jung Hu-seong, Ryuseong’s writing was just one of many.

The industry standard ratio of 7:3.

With the platforms taking their commission and the agencies taking theirs, the ratio was truly vital.

Perhaps it was conceit.

As a rookie author, this was likely the treatment I deserved.

And yet.

I wanted the work I was currently serializing to be treated differently—even if only by a little—from others.

"I see."

"Specifically for Moontopia, we’ll give you an 8:2 split."

As he spoke, he corrected the "7:3" written next to Moontopia to "8:2."

"And that’s not all. I pride myself on the fact that Rich Management's sales power is second to none. Starting with Moontopia, when we enter Series-N, Cocoa Page, and Ready-Books, we’ll handle the promotion events properly..."

I felt one thing throughout our conversation:

He was a smooth talker.

It was even difficult to get a proper question in.

But I knew one thing for certain. It wasn't the conversation we were having now that I had to trust.

What mattered was the contract.

Only the letters and numbers written there counted. And right now, Ryuseong didn't like those numbers.

"I’ve heard enough."

"Then shall we proceed with the contract right away?"

Ryuseong shook his head at the suggestion.

"I’ll have to think about it a bit more."

"Ah... hmm. Well, I’ll somehow manage to match the ratio for other platforms up to 75%, so..."

Just like that, all of a sudden?

That only made me lose interest even more.

"I'll get back to you later."

"Hmm. I understand. I hope you make a good decision."

"Yes, thank you."

We exchanged goodbyes and parted ways.

"Hmm..."

On the way home, feeling a bit unsatisfied, I contacted S-Books. I was told that they happened to be free now and that I could come over immediately.

"Then I’ll head over now."

— *I'll be waiting for you, Author.*

I arrived at S-Books sooner than expected.

It was a large, elegant building.

The interior of S-Books, which occupied the 7th floor, had more to see than I had imagined.

Physical copies of serialized works were beautifully displayed, and illustrations of works that had been adapted into webtoons were hanging everywhere. As I was staring blankly at them, a staff member approached me.

"How can I help you?"

"Ah, I’m h

ere to see the CEO."

"The CEO?"

"Yes. If you tell him it’s Author 'NewFace,' he’ll know."

"Oh, NewFace...!"

"Yes?"

"Ah, no. I'm really enjoying your work. J-just a moment, please."

The staff member hurried off somewhere, and I could faintly hear their voice.

"Oh my god, oh my god, it’s Author NewFace.!"

It seemed I was being welcomed quite enthusiastically.

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