บท 46: CH46
While Jung Jin-wook was meeting with author Lee Moon-hyuk, I stayed in Jo Soo-deok's office.
Maybe it was because I had time to kill.
'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms…'
I quietly pondered.
The first time I encountered The Romance of the Three Kingdoms was in elementary school, through a three-volume comic book series.
Back then, I just thought, "Oh, so there's something called The Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and that was about it.
It wasn't until I discovered the game Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Heroes Edition that I truly got hooked.
Ah, I wanted to know more about The Romance of the Three Kingdoms!
To fully enjoy Heroes Edition, understanding The Romance of the Three Kingdoms was essential!
After that, I started devouring anything with the The Romance of the Three Kingdoms name on it.
The most impactful was definitely the 60-volume The Romance of the Three Kingdoms comic series.
In that series, Zhuge Liang was depicted as nearly a divine being… which made playing the Sleeping Dragon Edition all the more immersive.
Afterward, I discovered Ko Woo-young's The Romance of the Three Kingdoms comic and became obsessed with the PC tactical game The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
That should have been enough, but my hunger for The Romance of the Three Kingdoms didn't subside.
I had read all the comics, so was it time to move on to novels?
That's when I came across Lee Moon-hyuk's The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
A whopping ten volumes!
It was an enormous series, but it didn't feel long to me at all.
'I often wished that Lee Moon-hyuk would write a full 60 volumes.'
I remember frequently thinking that as a child.
If it was possible in comics, why not in novels?
Anyway, Cao Cao, as interpreted by Lee Moon-hyuk, was incredibly captivating.
Maybe that's why I was in sheer bliss while playing Cao Cao's Edition of the game.
The scene where I kept reloading saves to keep the character Dian Wei alive still vividly lingers in my memory!
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms had such a profound impact on my life.
Publishing Lee Moon-hyuk's The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, widely regarded as a masterpiece?
It's a project that holds significant meaning for me as well.
Now that we're on the subject…
'Should I buy out Mayo in the future and pressure them to create a sequel to Cao Cao's Edition?'
I was lost in various thoughts when I heard a strange sound.
"Hmm."
I turned my head to see Jo Soo-deok pacing around like a restless puppy.
I had never seen him so anxious before.
It seemed he was worried about his student, Jung Jin-wook.
While he could oversee his Ph.D. student, now that Jung Jin-wook had become my full-time employee, Jo Soo-deok was no longer in direct control.
Judging by the look on his face, he was concerned about how Jung Jin-wook was handling his first assignment.
"I thought nothing could shake you, but it seems you have a human side after all?"
"Excuse me?"
"You're worried about your student, aren't you?"
"N-no, that's not it."
"Then why are you so anxious?"
Jo Soo-deok didn't respond and just let out an awkward laugh.
At times like this, he was unmistakably a teacher.
"Why don't you sit down? Worrying isn't going to change anything."
"If I knew I'd be this concerned, I would've gone instead."
Hehe.
"Honestly, though, he's thirty. He should be able to handle himself by now. A teacher can't follow his student around forever, you know…."
Just then.
Despite his earlier complaints, Jo Soo-deok's ears perked up at the sound of a knock on the door.
"Is that you, Jin-wook?"
The door opened slightly, and a man poked his head in—Jung Jin-wook.
"So, how did it go?"
In response to Jo Soo-deok's urgent question, Jung Jin-wook simply smiled brightly.
On the coffee table was a contract, clearly bearing the name "Lee Moon-hyuk."
"Boss, I wouldn't recommend just anyone… I mean, I'm an expert when it comes to nurturing talent. The proof is right here!"
Jo Soo-deok beamed as if he had just sent his late-born child to Seoul National University.
His gaze then shifted to his student, Jung Jin-wook.
"How did you do it? Tell me the details—step by step."
Given the opening, Jung Jin-wook began to speak, looking a bit shy.
"Lee Moon-hyuk is definitely a man of strong pride. He had a severe allergic reaction to the idea of crafting a product based on a publisher's request."
"So how did you get the signature?"
"I kept persuading him whenever I had the chance. I told him, 'This will help you grow as a writer. How often do you get the chance to write such an epic tale? Once you write about all these characters, you'll be able to write about anyone.' I added to the things the Boss had mentioned."
"And then?"
"His deeply furrowed brows started to relax."
"Oho!"
"No matter how much he wanted to help younger writers… it's still a burden for an author in their prime to invest years into a single work. But after listening to me, I think he realized that there were parts that would benefit him, too."
"So he signed in the end?"
"Not immediately. He kept thinking it over. It seemed like he was about to enter a long period of deliberation, so I decided to step in."
"What did you do?"
"I went all-in with the budget the Boss had approved."
"The five hundred million won advance?"
"Yes. I told him to start his research with that money, that it didn't matter if the book took a while, and that he could take as long as he needed to write it. He seemed quite touched by that."
Naturally.
What Korean publisher would offer a writer a five hundred million won advance?
Not only that, but they give such a large sum and say it doesn't matter when the manuscript is delivered?
A gamble only someone with knowledge of the future could take.
"He was about to sign but asked one thing before he did. He said it didn't make sense for a new publishing house to offer such a large advance and asked who was behind us."
"What did you say?"
"I told him it was the Hyungang Cultural Foundation. After that, he seemed satisfied and pulled out his pen."
The result of that exchange was now sitting right in front of me.
Phew.
My publishing house was destined for smooth sailing.
As if sensing my thoughts, Jo Soo-deok asked with a cheerful expression.
"Boss, what about the office building?"
"If you want, I can find one in no time."
"No, I'll leave that to Manager Jung Jin-wook."
"M-manager?"
Jo Soo-deok looked back and forth between me and Jung Jin-wook with a curious expression.
"He's starting as a manager on his first day at work?"
"He's accomplished something significant. I'll also raise his salary."
"Getting a raise before even receiving his first paycheck…."
Hehe.
"Maybe I should quit teaching and join you full-time as well…."
"Why are you suddenly saying that, sir?"
"Oh, right. I'm an executive!"
"Of course. Since there's a conflict of interest, you'll be an outside director for now. Is that alright with you?"
"More than alright. But… which department will I belong to? The publishing side?"
"No, the U.S. branch."
"Does that mean… I'll be paid in dollars?"
Nod.
"Wow, that sounds prestigious!"
Jo Soo-deok then turned to Jung Jin-wook.
"You've really made it big in a single day, haven't you? It feels like just yesterday you were devastated about having to cancel your study abroad plans, and now you're getting paid in dollars!"
Jung Jin-wook stood up and bowed deeply.
Hey!
Now I have to stand up too, don't I?
Though I complained, to be honest, I felt great.
I was thrilled to have more people on my team.
And it made me even happier to be able to provide them with a good compensation.
It would be perfect if we could have a drink to celebrate today!
Hmm.
If I were even a high school student, I could at least try to convince them to let me drink.
But an elementary schooler drinking? That would be too much, right?
"Let's at least grab a meal before heading back."
"I've been eagerly waiting for you to say that."
"How about Korean beef?"
"Boss, on a day like today, pork belly on a hot pan is perfect."
"Are you worried about my wallet?"
"No, not at all. Korean beef is great too, but there's something special about grilling pork belly with kimchi on a hot pan… Boss, you might not know it, so I wanted to introduce it to you."
What do you mean, I don't know?
In my past life, every company dinner was all about pork belly!
'Well.'
I only suggested Korean beef because I wanted to treat them to something nice. But if it's purely about taste, I prefer pork belly too… ahem.
"Alright. Pork belly it is. But you two must drink soju."
"Huh? How could we drink when you're sitting right in front of us, Boss."
"Isn't eating pork belly without soju a form of torture?"
"That's true, but… how do you know that?"
"My grandfather told me."
When in doubt, just bring up my grandfather.
"Of course, the Chairman would know!"
See? Instant understanding.
"You got it? I'll drink soda, so you two make sure to have soju. Deal?"
As soon as I finished speaking,
"Deal!"
"Thank you!"
The two of them had the happiest smiles on their faces.
***
After the dinner.
Drunk, Jung Jin-wook trudged home.
Step, step.
His place was at the far end of Sillim-dong's exam village.
When he opened the rotting wooden door, a dimly lit kitchen greeted him.
He never cooked, so the kitchen was basically just a sink.
There was no bathroom, so he had to go to school to shower. It was a ridiculous place to live, but still…
"Dad, this place is going to take off soon, too."
Jung Jin-wook spoke to the photograph hanging in his room.
Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but Jung Jin-wook found himself mumbling to himself even though his late father wasn't around to hear.
"I think I might finally be able to live like a human being."
In one corner of the room, under a flickering light bulb, Jung Jin-wook sat down heavily.
"I'm sorry I ate something good without you. But… do they eat in heaven? Maybe they call it heaven because you don't have to worry about every meal…."
Jung Jin-wook's father was a painter.
An artist who had nothing but poverty to pass on to his son.
He might have lacked practical skills, but his painting was nothing short of extraordinary.
"When I closed the deal with Lee Moon-hyuk and was on my way back, I was so happy I looked up at the sky. I wanted to brag to you. But then I saw the most beautiful clouds."
At that moment, Jung Jin-wook thought,
'Dad, you've seen it all. You're congratulating me, so you've painted a masterpiece on the sky canvas.'
As the light bulb flickered, Jung Jin-wook recalled the clouds he had seen earlier.
"In heaven, you don't have to sell off your things just to buy paint, right? That's why you were able to paint such a large cloud to your heart's content, isn't it?"
After some time passed, Jung Jin-wook spoke in a heavy voice.
"Dad, our Boss said he's going to help poor artists. It's such a wonderful thing, but to be honest, I felt a bit sad when I heard it."
Jung Jin-wook let out a deep sigh that seemed to pierce his heart.
"If only our Boss had been born 30 years earlier, maybe you could have lived your life with pride. Your paintings are truly amazing, Dad."
At the dinner, while eating pork belly and drinking soju, tears welled up in Jung Jin-wook's eyes, and he kept pouring himself drinks.
"You saw it all too, right? But please just listen to me. I'm just drunk and rambling."
But he couldn't bring himself to say what was really on his mind.
Instead, he kept his thoughts to himself, burying them deep within his chest like unshed tears.
'I won't paint anymore. To be honest, I'm not as talented as you, Dad. But strangely, I don't feel sad about it at all. Although I was a bit down when the Boss mentioned helping poor artists because it reminded me of you, I was honestly a bit surprised after hearing the whole plan.'
Director Park Ji-hoon had an incredibly detailed understanding of the life of a starving artist.
It was as if he had lived that life himself.
It was normal for a 3rd-generation chaebol to be unfamiliar with poverty.
Moreover, he was only 11 years old.
How could someone who had lived such an opposite life understand it so deeply?
'A rich person talking about the hardships of the poor should be infuriating, but strangely, it wasn't. No, far from being infuriated, I was rather in awe of how deeply he could immerse himself in the lives of others. And then, bit by bit, I began to feel a growing conviction.'
If there was ever a lord to whom he would devote his life, it would be him.
'Is this how Guan Yu and Zhang Fei felt when they met Liu Bei? I guess this thought is stronger because we just signed a contract for The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.'
Now that he thought about it, he had never really read The Romance of the Three Kingdoms properly.
Hmm.
'When Lee Moon-hyuk finishes the manuscript, I should take my time and read it.'
Jung Jin-wook made a mental note as he said,
"Dad, if you're really in heaven, please say something to the higher-ups there. Tell them to help me keep my job for a long time. I won't leave on my own, so please look after me. And stop just painting clouds in the sky… okay?"
But his mumbling didn't last long.
"..."
Unable to fight off the overwhelming fatigue, Jung Jin-wook collapsed to his side.
Soon after,
Zzzt. Zzzt.
The flickering light bulb slowly dimmed, as if it were responding.
And finally,
Zzzing.
The faint light went out, plunging the room into darkness.
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