Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1252. Uniting (2)

Lee Hyeon-Su tried to say something. “B-but, aren’t we, uh, all a part of one corporate family?”

Han Eun-Sol didn’t even crack a smile while replying. “Handling of money issues should be even stricter between family members, actually.”

“But that’s not really true, now is it? If you get too strict about money, family members will end up creating bad blood between them.”

“I was taught that temporary bad blood is far more preferable to letting your dissatisfaction fester until you become totally estranged from the rest of your family.”

“But... the MK Entertainment’s revenue counts toward the MK Group’s total revenue, though?”

“Subsidiaries under one corporate umbrella do compete with each other to see who can record higher profits.”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s eyes trembled ever so slightly just then.

‘Holy cow... What is up with this brat?’

He originally thought of Han Eun-Sol as a “Plus One” that tagged along with Choi Yeon-Ha.

Even with Choi Yeon-Ha sitting next to him, the pressure Han Eun-Sol felt as an ordinary person with no cultivation in Lee Hyeon-Su’s presence must’ve been considerable. Yet here he was, the so-called “Plus One” not giving up an inch and even pushing Lee Hyeon-Su back with aplomb!

Han Eun-Sol frowned and spoke in a slightly troubled tone. “Chief Lee?”

“Yes?”

“In all honesty, we would also love to do you this favor. But! One of our ironclad unspoken rules is to never lower our asking price, no matter what. That’s because signing a contract at a lower fee than usual will set a dangerous precedent. And all the other potential customers would want to sign us up on that price from that moment on.”

“Huh? But can’t you keep it a secret?”

“...Unfortunately, no. There is no such thing as ‘secret’ in this business.”

Lee Hyeon-Su groaned softly.

Han Eun-Sol spoke in a somewhat disappointed tone next. “And the truth is... Since we’re under the same corporate umbrella, the usual thing isn’t to ask for a discount but to pay us more. That’s the unspoken rule in this industry.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Please think about this. If MK gives us the best possible deal in the industry, our future clients will have to be more conscious of what you have paid us. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“...Yes, kind of.”

“That’s why the usual practice during signing a contract with a related company is to demand a higher fee. It’s a surefire way to improve the revenue, you see? So, to hear you ask us for a discount is a bit...”

Lee Hyeon-Su was left momentarily speechless. He pretty much knew everything there was to know about the martial world, but he was as clueless as anyone could get when the topic in question was about the entertainment industry. He had no way of knowing if Han Eun-Sol was yanking his chain or not.

Han Eun-Sol spoke in a calm tone. “Who will look after the subsidiary if not the head office? In that sense, you should...”

“...I should?”

“...Consider paying Miss Choi even more.”

Lee Hyeon-Su couldn’t help but smirk softly when Han Eun-Sol threw a straight ball.

‘This kid? He’s not bad.’

Han Eun-Sol was utilizing his younger age as a tool here. A wet-behind-ears kid insisting on stuff would only earn a harsh scolding from adults. However, that was all dependent on time and place. Not many people would have the balls to scold the other party during a contract negotiation.

Plus, with Choi Yeon-Ha observing the situation from behind Han Eun-Sol, the other party would have no choice but to be very conscious of their positions, too!

This method of attack had to be the product of the youngster’s careful calculations.

In any other situation, Lee Hyeon-Su would’ve raised his white flag and gave up. It was as Han Eun-Sol had said, after all; this was no ordinary contract negotiation, but one taking place between two parties that shared the same boat. With how skillful Han Eun-Sol’s negotiation tactic was at his age, Lee Hyeon-Su would’ve gladly said yes out of how proud he felt for the youngster. Unfortunately, however...!

‘Your confident face is getting on my nerves a bit...’

What Lee Hyeon-Su didn’t like was that Han Eun-Sol had failed to maintain a respectful yet crafty approach. In that case, it was his duty as the senior in the room to inform the youngster... That the world was much bigger than he thought!

Sometimes, a sound beating was a better stimulant than a word of praise to help a person grow.

“Mm, indeed. I should consider it,” said Lee Hyeon-Su with a theatrical nod. “I’ll be honest, though. Miss Choi’s fee is quite high, which means it’s a bit difficult for us to meet it. It’s pointless to ask the head office for an additional budget, you see? It’s important that the franchising business demonstrates its ability to handle its financial obligations independently, after all...”

“That is unfortunate. In that case, it can’t be helped, then,” said Han Eun-Sol, still not giving an inch.

Too bad for him, though, as Lee Hyeon-Su wasn’t targeting him right now.

“Indeed, it is unfortunate. I mean, our Assembly Master had decided to model for us for some reason, you see? I figured the ads he and Miss Choi starred in could be great, but... Oh, well. It is unfortunate. But, as you said, it can’t be...”

“Who wants to model?”

There it was, the movement he had been waiting for!

Choi Yeon-Ha, who had been silently listening until now, abruptly butted in as her eyes flickered brightly.

Before Han Eun-Sol could say something, Lee Hyeon-Su replied first. “Ah, my apologies. I shouldn’t have said Assembly Master, since he’s the Chairman in these offices. Yes, our Chairman has agreed to model for us.”

Choi Yeon-Ha’s brows arched up higher. “Mister Jin-Ho agreed to do that?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Huh? What’s gotten into that guy for him to...”

Han Eun-Sol finally got a word in. “N-noona, I’m trying to negotiate your...”

Choi Yeon-Ha’s sharp gaze locked on him next. “You. Step aside for a sec.”

“Sorry?”

“I said, step aside.”

“...!”

Lee Hyeon-Su cracked a subtle little smirk at the sight of Han Eun-Sol weakly standing up and walking away.

‘You’re still many decades too young for this, brat!’

How dare that brat try to dance with the one-and-only Lee Hyeon-Su! He should go back to school and learn some more stuff first.

Han Eun-Sol had played his role quite admirably. Unfortunately, he had overlooked something crucial here, and that was the fact that the actor in his care ultimately held the right to decide. Especially when said actor just so happened to be Choi Yeon-Ha, easily one of the most overbearing and unrepentant celebs in the business!

Choi Yeon-Ha leaned closer while looking genuinely interested. “Why is Mister Jin-Ho doing this?”

Lee Hyeon-Su replied calmly. “It’s proof that this franchising business means a lot to the Chairman.”

“Oh? And you hadn’t tricked him into doing it?”

“...Well, I can’t completely deny that, no.”

“Hmm...?”

Choi Yeon-Ha smirked softly in amusement while studying Lee Hyeon-Su’s face.

Chatting to Kang Jin-Ho would inevitably bring up stories regarding Lee Hyeon-Su. The only other people he talked more about than Lee Hyeon-Su were his friends... Actually, that wasn’t true anymore. The name of Lee Hyeon-Su popped up more often than Kang Jin-Ho’s friends these days in their conversations.

So, what was Choi Yeon-Ha’s impression after actually chatting at length with Lee Hyeon-Su...?

‘This man, he’s definitely not a pushover, now is he?’

Choi Yeon-Ha had the distinctive displeasure of dealing with all sorts of loathsome characters in the entertainment industry. However, compared to Lee Hyeon-Su? They were no better than forgettable side characters, at least in her opinion.

Behind his slightly nervous, awkward smile was an indescribable sharpness. Did that mean Lee Hyeon-Su was a type who hid his true self?

‘No, I don’t think that’s the case.’

Although subtle, there were hints of iciness in the way he spoke to Han Eun-Sol and Choi Yeon-Ha. He only conducted himself this way because he didn’t perceive Choi Yeon-Ha as his enemy.

‘In that sense, I could say he’s similar to Mister Jin-Ho.’

He’d display bottomless aggression and cruelty to anyone he perceived as an enemy. On the other hand, he’d become mellow and easy-going to those he viewed as his allies. That must be Lee Hyeon-Su’s type. On top of that... He seemed even more narrow-minded than Kang Jin-Ho.

‘As expected...!’

No wonder Kang Jin-Ho approved of Lee Hyeon-Su.

Since Kang Jin-Ho had a twisted personality, he must’ve found someone even more twisted than him quite interesting to hang out with. Or maybe, he felt a certain sense of closeness.

“Chief Lee?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Has anyone told you that you are not a nice person?”

“...” Lee Hyeon-Su’s brows rose a little higher at that unexpected straight jab. “No, ma’am. No one told me that to my face until now.”

“Maybe it’s the case of no one being brave enough to say that to you?”

“Hahaha... ha...”

Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled awkwardly.

‘Although you’re not wrong, hearing that from you is pretty weird, you know?’

After all, wasn’t Choi Yeon-Ha the same?

She grinned. “I was curious about what kind of person you were, Chief Lee. Now that we’re here, though, I can’t help but think that my curiosity was unnecessary.”

“My apologies for disappointing you.”

“No, rather than disappointment, mm... How should I put it? You feel so familiar to me. Something like that?”

The corners of Choi Yeon-Ha’s lips curled up.

What a strange feeling this was. When analyzed one by one, not a single aspect about Lee Hyeon-Su could be seen as the same as Kang Jin-Ho. However, observing him like this reinforced the idea that Lee Hyeon-Su let out a similar vibe to Kang Jin-Ho’s.

For some reason, Choi Yeon-Ha felt at ease at the thought of someone like Lee Hyeon-Su helping Kang Jin-Ho out.

“I get a feeling that we’ll be speaking to each other more frequently from now on, Chief Lee. Don’t you get that feeling, too?”

Lee Hyeon-Su held Choi Yeon-Ha’s probing gaze before grinning subtly. “Indeed, ma’am. It’d be great if we can talk more frequently. However, as our departments handle different aspects of the business, I’m not sure how often we’ll get to speak to each other like this.”

“Doesn’t that depend on us, though?”

“...Us, ma’am?”

“Yes, us,” said Choi Yeon-Ha with a radiant grin and a simple head nod. “What’s wrong? Am I not supposed to say that? Maybe I was being a bit too cheeky?”

“No, it wasn’t. I didn’t mean it that way, ma’am.”

“Chief Lee,” said Choi Yeon-Ha while leaning very close.

Lee Hyeon-Su reflexively sat back.

‘Holy cow. That’s no joke.’

Most people would never experience what it’d be like to have their vision utterly dominated by Choi Yeon-Ha’s visage. Even Lee Hyeon-Su had been caught off-guard by how overwhelming this experience was.

‘Gee whiz, Hyeon-Ju will chew me out till next year if she finds out!’

For a moment there, Lee Hyeon-Su’s thoughts blanked out, although he shouldn’t be blamed for that. Most men who talked to Choi Yeon-Ha in such close proximity would’ve displayed similar reactions to Lee Hyeon-Su.

Actually, he should be commended for not stuttering during this overwhelming experience, instead!

“I’m sorry, Chief Lee. I’m not good at beating around the bush. Maybe because I’m not a good person, trying to be subtle and nice and considerate feels so cringe to me.”

Lee Hyeon-Su frowned slightly. “Oh, I see...”

“So, let me get straight to the point. How about we become friends?”

“No thank you,” Lee Hyeon-Su firmly rejected Choi Yeon-Ha’s proposal. “I’d prefer we stay as colleagues under one corporate umbrella.”

Choi Yeon-Ha’s expression crumpled ever so slightly. “Excuse me? I also don’t have aaaaaany thoughts of befriending you as a person.”

“...”

“I mean, one look at you, and it’s easy to see that you’re not a good person, after all!”

“Hahaha. That’s the same for you as well, Miss Choi.”

“Hahaha, you think so, too?”

“Hahahaha...”

‘What the heck, this bastard dares to?’

‘What the heck, did this woman lose her bloody mind or something?’

Harsh sparks danced between the two people. Lee Hyeon-Su soon realized he had been subtly glaring at Choi Yeon-Ha and hurriedly fake-coughed to wake the hell up.

‘No, wait. This is wrong.’

Lee Hyeon-Su had zero desire to start a feud with Choi Yeon-Ha here. That would only work against his interests, after all. However, confronting her like this had this strange effect of rousing up several negative emotions from deep within his chest!

“When I said friends, I didn’t mean we should hang out and shoot breezes. Oh, no. I simply meant we should share certain information beneficial to us,” said Choi Yeon-Ha.

“Certain information, you say?”

“Yes. You know a lot about Mister Jin-Ho’s other side, the one I don’t have access to. I’d love to hear about what he’s doing every once in a while, you see...”

Lee Hyeon-Su replied firmly once more. “No can do, ma’am.”

“...”

“Please do not test my loyalty to the Chairman. My actions are only meant to benefit him, no one else. That includes you, Miss Choi. Even if it’s you, it is my duty to protect the Chairman’s private...”

“I’ll change Mister Jin-Ho’s mind once when he’s being stubborn about something.”

“You have my cooperation, ma’am.”

“...”

“...”

Choi Yeon-Ha and Lee Hyeon-Su exchanged unreadable gazes.

‘He’s the worst.’

‘She’s horrifying.’

Choi Yeon-Ha promptly erased the notion of Lee Hyeon-Su being similar to Kang Jin-Ho out of her head. And Lee Hyeon-Su erased the information of Choi Yeon-Ha being a peerless beauty from his memories.

“Kuh-hum!”

Lee Hyeon-Su fake-coughed again to lighten the atmosphere somewhat, then smiled like a good-natured man. Although it seemed a little late for that now, he should still try to bring some semblance of normalcy back to the proceedings, no?

“That’s that, but how about we return to the previous topic of modeling for the franchising business, ma’am?”

“Oh, that?” Choi Yeon-Ha grinned brightly. “Don’t worry, I’m only too happy to help with MK and Mister Jin-Ho’s new business venture. Please work out a sensible schedule for all of us.”

“Ah! Thank you, ma’am. With you as our model, our franchising business should be able to capture the public's attention.”

“That’s great to hear.”

“Then, as for your fee...?”

“Aha, that. My fee.” The smile on Choi Yeon-Ha’s face grew even more radiant just then. “I’m not giving you any discount whatsoever, so you should forget about it.”

“...”

And so, the first official meeting between Lee Hyeon-Su and Choi Yeon-Ha ended in the worst possible way under the circumstances.