Chapter 5: TCGGM

Guild Management of the Charm Genius –  

Chairman's Office, Ido Group

Lee Sang-byeok lowered his glasses slightly and looked at the bizarre lifeform standing before him.

“Your... appearance...”

The sight of Lee Shin was truly spectacular.

Slippers.

Sweatpants.

A shirt that looked as though it had been pulled straight out of a laundry basket.

He looked like a complete beggar.

Was this how young people dressed these days?

Or was it some new form of rebellion?

Lee Sang-byeok seriously considered whether he should send his grandson back to a psychiatric hospital.

“Looks a little empty, right? I threw something on in a hurry before coming out. Here, try one. It's still warm.”

“What... is that?”

“Fish-shaped pastry. I couldn't exactly come empty-handed. Though honestly, prices these days are ridiculous. You only get two for a thousand won.”

Lee Shin handed over a bungeoppang while thoughtfully discussing inflation.

The sheer shamelessness of it left Lee Sang-byeok speechless enough to let out a laugh.

“Ha.”

“How did you get here? You're supposed to be under confinement.”

“I filmed a movie.”

“A movie?”

“It's called Knock, and It Shall Be Opened Unto You!”

The week he had spent smiling until his cheeks hurt.

The hacking work he had completed slowly but steadily, proving once again that programming was glorified manual labor.

“If I opened people's hearts with the amazing charm I inherited from my grandfather, then I opened the security system with a few coding shortcuts. Speaking of which, the CCTV in my room was a bit much. I have a right to privacy too.”

Lee Shin spoke casually.

But Lee Sang-byeok wasn't listening to the jokes.

"Opened people's hearts with charm?"

Wasn't that just a fancy way of saying he'd used that pretty face to manipulate everyone?

Fine.

That much he could overlook.

But what did he mean by coding shortcuts?

And how did he know about the CCTV?

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Lee Sang-byeok finally asked.

Lee Shin answered without hesitation.

“That's a trade secret.”

“What...?”

“Trade. Secret.”

The rest of the explanation required payment.

Lee Shin grinned and took a large bite of his pastry.

“Ha. Payment? What kind of nonsense is this?”

“Hehe~”

“You're laughing?”

“Should I cry instead?”

Lee Sang-byeok frowned so hard it seemed his face would crack.

Meanwhile, Lee Shin continued smiling.

The chairman couldn't believe this brat was joking around in front of him.

Yet at the same time, it felt strangely new.

Did this kid always have a side like this?

Whenever Lee Sang-byeok frowned, everyone lowered their heads.

No one even dared meet his gaze.

Lee Shin had been no different.

At least, the Lee Shin from a few months ago.

Yet now, this brat stood tall and met his eyes directly.

The eyes of Lee Sang-byeok himself.

Knock. Knock.

“Coming in.”

The office door opened.

Yoo Cheol-ong entered carrying a tray with two steaming cups of coffee.

“Cheol-ong? What's that? I didn't order coffee.”

“I asked for it.”

“Coffee makes you thirsty otherwise.”

“This brat?”

“Here you go~”

Watching Lee Shin casually munch on snacks, Lee Sang-byeok felt a vein bulge on his forehead.

At this point, however, he was genuinely curious.

What exactly had happened to this kid?

Meanwhile, Lee Shin's attention was focused entirely on Yoo Cheol-ong.

More specifically—

On the floating numbers above his head.

(179/181)

Numbers only visible to him as a manager and player.

The ability rating possessed by awakened individuals.

(Current Potential / Maximum Potential)

Which meant Yoo Cheol-ong was awakened.

And not just awakened.

Someone with enough talent to become a Hunter.

“Oh?”

“??”

“Sir, you're an Ability User. Wow~ Let's get along.”

The eyes of both Lee Sang-byeok and Yoo Cheol-ong sharpened instantly.

“You... remember Cheol-ong?”

“Did you forget already? I'm the one with amnesia.”

“Then why did you call him an Ability User?”

“Just a feeling.”

“If I ever get the chance, please help me out. Hehehe.”

Lee Shin rubbed his palms together.

The two men tried to decipher what lay hidden behind that smile.

Soon, they gave up.

How could anyone read a guy whose behavior fluctuated like someone on drugs?

“So after causing all this chaos, why exactly did you come here?”

“To see Grandpa.”

“Fair warning. My patience ends here. If you dodge the question one more time, you're getting thrown out.”

“The guild.”

“What?”

“The guild-related matter you're planning. Let me be involved.”

“...Guild? What are you talking about?”

Lee Sang-byeok spoke casually.

Lee Shin merely smiled knowingly.

“The guild. The one you're thinking about right now, Grandpa.”

He wasn't fishing.

He knew.

The chairman's expression darkened immediately.

“How do you know that?”

It wasn't an earth-shattering secret.

The Strategic Planning Department.

The Crisis Management Office.

The family members selected for deployment.

Several people already knew.

Yet Lee Sang-byeok was irritated because his order had been clear:

"Make sure he doesn't hear a single word."

Yoo Cheol-ong lowered his head, unable to defend himself.

“Don't tell me the Vice Chairman told you?”

“Does Dad seem like the type?”

“Answer me.”

“I already told you. I'm a charming man. Irresistibly charming.”

One week was longer than most people thought.

And people revealed far more information than they realized.

Especially when speaking to someone they wanted to impress.

For example, his younger sister's friends who had become completely smitten with his face.

“So you're saying you extracted information?”

“You charmed the employees, and now you're charming your little sister's friends too?”

“Dad's busy traveling around the country these days. He's really interested in Hunters lately. It's not like any of this is top-secret.”

“Haa...”

“Honestly, I figured some kind of guild event was coming soon. Guild Management doesn't even have a tutorial, after all.”

“What?”

“Don't worry about it. Talking to myself.”

Lee Shin shrugged.

“Anyway, after putting all the information together, the answer just popped into my head.”

“Incredible.”

Winning over employees with his looks.

Manipulating his sister's friends.

Deducing the entire situation from a few careless comments.

Escaping confinement through any means necessary.

And then appearing before Lee Sang-byeok himself.

Most importantly—

All of this had been accomplished while he was supposedly completely restrained.

The kid was something else.

“So you want to work on guild matters?”

“Yes! I'm confident I can do it.”

“I see.”

“Exactly.”

“Heh.”

“Hehe.”

Grandfather and grandson smiled at each other.

Lee Shin grinned shamelessly.

Lee Sang-byeok nodded repeatedly.

Then the chairman picked up the phone.

“Secretary's Office. Throw this brat out—”

“Grandpa!! Please give me one chance!”

As though he had been waiting for that exact moment, Lee Shin leaped forward.

And dropped to his knees on top of the desk.

Fast.

Ridiculously fast.

Lee Sang-byeok paused midway through lifting the receiver.

His gaze remained icy.

“A chance, huh?”

“Not exactly the kind of word that should come from your mouth.”

“I know.”

“I know I've already received far too many chances.”

“And yet you're still saying it?”

“What? Are you hoping your amnesia will earn you sympathy?”

“No.”

“The crimes I've committed are too serious for that.”

“At least you have some shame.”

Lee Sang-byeok pulled out a cigarette.

Before he could do anything, Lee Shin snatched up the lighter and lit it for him.

Then he even held out the ashtray with both hands.

Look at this brat.

He even knows how to flatter people.

The chairman couldn't help but chuckle.

“You're observant.”

“Do you have no pride?”

“If I had to choose one thing I hate most in the world, it'd be pride. I don't raise things like that.”

“What a thing for a man to brag about.”

He looked disappointed.

But inwardly, he was pleased.

It was exactly the answer he wanted.

Pride only became useful after reaching the top.

Before that?

It was worthless.

That was how Lee Sang-byeok had lived.

And how he had reached this position.

“Reason.”

“Huh?”

“Don't make me repeat myself.”

“Give me a reason I should give you a chance.”

Lee Shin immediately pointed toward a framed plaque hanging on the office wall.

It contained the final teachings of Lee Sang-byeok's father, the previous chairman of Ido Group.

The third line read:

"Use discrimination wisely. Give talented people enough confidence to feel proud, and make untalented people fear being left behind..."

Then, below that:

"But give everyone an equal opportunity."

“Hah.”

“So because of my father's words, I should give you a chance?”

Lee Sang-byeok laughed dismissively.

Bold words.

But ultimately just childish whining.

He was about to end the conversation.

Then—

“I'll bet my entire inheritance.”

“!!”

The words stopped him in place.

He froze.

Then slowly turned his head.

His expression became cold as ice.

Lee Shin didn't look away.

Their eyes met directly.

“So.”

“Do you understand the weight of those words?”

“Yes.”

“Perfectly.”

No matter how reckless he was, Lee Shin remained the eldest grandson of the family.

His inheritance wasn't small.

Vast tracts of land.

Prime real estate throughout Seoul.

Dozens of buildings.

And shares in Ido Group itself.

Enough wealth to live comfortably forever.

A guaranteed future.

He was putting all of it on the table.

“I'll wager everything.”

“In exchange, give me a chance.”

“If I fail, take it all.”

“If I succeed, you still come out ahead.”

All-in.

A bet with everything on the line.

Lee Sang-byeok stared at him blankly.

Who could have imagined this delinquent possessed such courage?

The shock was significant.

“...Does the Vice Chairman know?”

“No.”

“A deal of this scale would have been much easier with your father.”

“With Dad?”

“Come on.”

“If this were only about making money, I'd just sell everything myself and leave home.”

Money wasn't the reason?

Coming from the same brat who had spent his life asking for handouts?

And according to him, this wasn't his father's decision.

It was his own.

The eyes didn't lie.

He was telling the truth.

Everything about this conversation was something Lee Sang-byeok had never seen before.

For the first time, he became genuinely interested in Lee Shin as a person.

“Why me?”

“Simple.”

Because Lee Sang-byeok was Ido itself.

“Grandpa is the king.”

“So naturally, I should serve the king.”

Having one person above you was easier than having two.

“I've played around enough.”

“Now I'd like to earn Grandpa's approval.”

“And?”

“You like it, don't you?”

“Adventure.”

“Gambling.”

“Courage.”

“...!”

He was right.

The reason Lee Sang-byeok had transformed a small rice shop into a global empire wasn't caution.

It was the courage to bet even his own heart when necessary.

A mindset he had long forgotten.

And now, somehow, he was seeing it reflected in his delinquent grandson.

Silence.

Grandfather and grandson stared at one another.

Neither retreated.

Lee Shin's gaze was desperate.

Earnest.

Lee Sang-byeok could feel it.

The boy was serious.

He had truly placed everything on the line.

For the first time in a long while, the chairman felt his blood heat up.

“Fine.”

“I'll give you that last chance.”

“Yes!!”

Lee Shin clenched his fist and cheered.

Still kneeling on the desk.

Looking utterly ridiculous.

But who cared?

He had succeeded.

The meaningful smile on Lee Sang-byeok's face was a little concerning.

But who cared?

He had won.

“Don't forget.”

“This is your last chance.”

“If you fail this time, you'll be removed from the family registry and thrown out penniless.”

“Deal!”

“Hah.”

Lee Sang-byeok had to admit it.

His grandson.

The delinquent of the Ido family.

Had completely changed.

---

“Oh, right.”

At that moment, the delinquent grandson spoke again.

“There's one thing I want first.”

“Give me one person.”

“He's probably working as an intern in the logistics warehouse right now.”

“His name is...”