Former Ranker's Newbie Life-Chapter 46

After what felt like an uphill battle of nagging, threatening, and bribing, Ju Kang-Hee finally managed to secure a meeting with the man from the video. In return, Kim Soso got an extra month of vacation, and Theresa was spared from having to accompany her on a nationwide café tour.

And now, here she was, sitting face-to-face with him. The man who introduced himself as Do-Jin was casually flipping her business card between his fingers, only sparing it a quick glance. While he did that, Kang-Hee sized him up, scrutinizing every detail for his marketability.

How old is he? His face looks young, but there is something about him that makes him seem older than he actually is.

It wasn’t just his sharp features but also the aura he carried, something enigmatic and unpredictable. No wonder Soso called him “an interesting guy.”

His presence was striking. He was tall, broad-shouldered with a solid frame that looked like it had seen its fair share of training. Sure, muscle could be built, but his bone structure was pure genetics, and Do-Jin had hit the jackpot in that department. His looks alone were enough to satisfy the notoriously high standards of her boss.

LOST had a reputation for limiting character customization, so she had expected him to look somewhat decent in real life. However, this was beyond her expectations.

Of course, he wasn’t just a pretty face. Right now, the entire gaming world was obsessed with finding him. The hype wasn’t dying down. If anything, it was getting stronger. Every media outlet and guild out there was scrambling to get a hold of him.

I’m getting this guy to sign, no matter what.

At that moment, Do-Jin finally stopped fiddling with the business card and turned his gaze to her. Kang-Hee swallowed, her throat dry, and braced herself for the negotiation of her career.

***

As Do-Jin stared at the business card in his hand, a thought crossed his mind. Never would I have guessed that the stone-faced healer was some rich kid.

Honestly, he had barely even noticed Soso back when they were in the same party. She didn’t talk much, didn’t cause problems, and handled her role just fine. In Do-Jin’s experience, the only party members who really stuck out were the ones who caused absolute disasters.

So when Theresa had reached out saying Soso wanted to meet him, he’d been genuinely confused. Even after hearing it had to do with that video, he still had no clue why the hell it concerned her. The moment he learned she was the heiress to Rael Group, everything clicked.

Rael Group currently had three major subsidiaries: skincare, jewelry, and fashion. It was now expanding into a fourth sector, Rael Entertainment. It wasn’t just any entertainment agency either. A few well-known LOST streamers had been signed with it, so Do-Jin was already familiar with the name.

Ah, right. That was the company known for throwing money around like it was nothing...

Whether it was intentional or just bad business, Rael Entertainment had a reputation for offering ridiculously good contracts. So good, in fact, that even someone like Do-Jin, who never cared much about agencies, had heard about it. Not only that, but they were also famous for how well they treated their talent.

And now, they’re trying to sign me? All because of that video?

Do-Jin’s lips curled into a subtle smirk. He hadn’t expected an opportunity like this to land right in his lap. But now that it had, he wasn’t about to let it slip away. Without hesitation, he set the business card down and took a sip of his disgustingly sweet orange juice before cutting straight to the point.

“So, Rael. That’s the company that sells clothes and cosmetics, right? What do they want with me?”

Across from him, Ju Kang-Hee barely suppressed a wince. She had prepared for this, but hadn’t expected him to be so blunt.

“Yes, our primary business is in fashion, skincare, and jewelry,” she said smoothly. “But the reason we reached out to you has nothing to do with those divisions. Rael Group is expanding into the entertainment industry, and we wanted to discuss a potential offer with you.”

She finished her pitch and immediately studied Do-Jin’s expression, trying to gauge his reaction. If he showed even a hint of interest, she’d push harder. If he hesitated, she’d have to adjust her approach. This was the foundation of any good negotiation.

In contrast, Do-Jin had no intention of dragging this out. He already knew everything he needed to know about Rael Entertainment, so there was no point wasting time.

“So basically, you guys want to buy into my hype?”

Kang-Hee blinked. “Well... yes, that’s exactly right.”

“Then there’s no reason to beat around the bush, is there?” Do-Jin said, casually tapping his fingers on the table. “Why don’t we discuss the contract?”

“You want to... talk about the contract?” Kang-Hee asked, momentarily thrown off by his speed.

“I hate wasting time,” he said bluntly. “We both know why we’re here. Either the offer works for both of us, or it doesn’t. If it does, we sign. If not, I walk away.”

The steady rhythm of his fingers against the table made his impatience crystal clear. Still bewildered, Kang-Hee scrambled to pull out the contract she had prepared. She had planned to introduce it much later, after buttering him up with a long conversation, but this guy was cutting straight to business.

Do-Jin barely glanced at the first page before looking back at her. “Mind giving me the quick rundown? I’ll go through all the details later if I decide to sign, but for now, just tell me the parts you think I’ll care about.”

“Ah, of course. Give me a second.” Kang-Hee hurriedly flipped through the contract, scanning for the key points.

What the hell is with this guy?

She had met plenty of impatient people before, but this was on another level. Still, she wasn’t about to let this deal slip through her fingers. The contract in her hands was already a modified version of the original one they had drawn up to attract A-list celebrities. They had only made slight tweaks to fit Do-Jin, which meant that the terms were absolutely insane.

Even at a glance, the revenue split was a jaw-dropping nine-to-one. Not a single person who wasn’t already a god-tier superstar would ever get terms this good, yet they were about to offer it to a guy who had only just entered the scene.

“Not bad,” Do-Jin said, nodding as he scanned the contract. There were only a few things that bugged him. “If you can tweak a few clauses, I’ll sign right now.”

“Just like that? No second thoughts?”

“I already thought about it. That’s why I’m asking for changes.”

“Right... Yes, that makes sense.”

Looking a bit dazed, Ju Kang-Hee handed him a pen. Do-Jin took it without hesitation and quickly jotted down three conditions. The first was a request for a dedicated manager, and the second was for company-provided housing. As for the third, rather than a lump-sum signing bonus, he wanted a one-year contract with renegotiation at the end of each term.

Sliding the paper across the table, he waited as Kang-Hee read over his demands. Her expression shifted slightly. The first two weren’t a big deal. Hiring a rookie road manager was basically pocket change, and securing housing was just another business expense. No skin off Rael’s back. However, the one-year contract was frustrating.

Sure, it was enough time to milk his current hype, but Kang-Hee had a gut feeling that Do-Jin wasn’t just a passing trend. He had presence, and if her instincts were right, the attention he was getting now would be nothing compared to what was coming in a year’s time.

She wanted to lock him down for at least three years. Five was unrealistic, but she thought three might’ve been reasonable.

Maybe throwing more money at him would do the trick...

She hesitated, then lifted her gaze, trying to gauge his reaction. That was when she really understood what he was aiming for. Do-Jin knew exactly how much he was worth now and how much more he’d be worth later. He was betting on himself, fully confident he’d be in an even better bargaining position a year from now.

Still, she had to try. “If we bumped up the contract bonus, would you consider extending the term?”

“Why would I?” Do-Jin replied without missing a beat.

Kang-Hee frowned slightly, waiting for him to elaborate.

“You’re not losing me after a year. That’s not what I wrote,” he said, leaning back. “If your company does its job well, I’ll want to stay. And if I keep proving my worth, you’ll want to keep me. One-year renewals just mean we both stay on our toes. Simple as that.”

Damn. Irritatingly logical.

Kang-Hee let out a short, bitter laugh. She wasn’t the type to let herself get outmaneuvered like this, yet here she was.

“Fair enough. If we both do our jobs, there won’t be a problem,” she admitted.

A quick glance at the clock showed that barely ten minutes had passed since they sat down. She had walked in prepared for a long, exhausting negotiation, bracing herself for hours of mental warfare. Instead, the entire thing was over in record time. Somehow, it left her feeling more drained than if they’d actually argued for hours.

Maybe I’ll get off early today and relax...

Unfortunately, that was never going to happen due to the sheer amount of paperwork waiting for her.

Suppressing a sigh, she forced a smile. “I’ll have the revised contract ready shortly.”

Just like that, Do-Jin had officially secured his first corporate-funded personal assistant.

***

A few days had passed since Do-Jin signed the revised contract. Obviously, he had spent those days grinding in LOST.

He was knee-deep in a mana-soaked swamp, frying mutated crocodile beasts with ruthless efficiency. They were vulnerable to lightning, so one strike dropped them flat, leaving them briefly twitching before quickly dying.

The method was simple, but without enough firepower he’d just be dragging a death train with no brakes. Fortunately, Do-Jin had the Black Dragon’s Fang Dagger. With its cracked magic stats, the S-rank weapon turned hunting from a matter of effort to a test of endurance. Strategy no longer mattered; it was just mindless XP farming while trying not to die of boredom.

“How long have I been at this...?”

His brain felt foggy from the monotony, and when he checked the time, he realized he’d been at it for thirteen hours straight. A normal mage wouldn’t even dream of keeping up this pace, not unless they had a busted intelligence stat and top-tier gear.

It was also especially easy with a cracked passive like Mana Heart, which let him stretch his mana pool to ridiculous levels. Even with all that, however, keeping his mana bar from hitting rock bottom was a constant battle. The longer he pushed through, the heavier his eyelids got.

It was time to call it. After making his way to a safe zone, Do-Jin logged out. After opening his eyes in the capsule, the first thing he felt was hunger. His instincts kicked in, and his gaze automatically drifted toward his food stash.

Wait a minute... I just busted my ass in a swamp for hours, and my reward is... cat treats?

This had to be some kind of karmic punishment for being too lazy to restock his groceries. For a moment, he debated whether he could just suffer through it. Then, with a sigh, he decided to hit up the convenience store. He already knew where it was, having spotted it the last time he actually stepped outside. As for what he’d eat, he’d figure it out when he got there.

Late-night convenience store runs had a certain charm to them.

That was the last normal thought in his head before he opened the door. Instead of the crisp night air, he walked straight into something soft.

The fuck?

Looking down, he saw a figure curled up on the ground. A woman, bundled in a long black puffer coat, was huddled right in front of his door.

Do-Jin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “If you’re gonna drink yourself stupid, at least make it home before you pass the fuck out,” he muttered.

At first glance, she looked like just another wasted mess who had collapsed in the wrong place. The woman let out a weak groan and slowly opened her eyes.

“Ugh...”

The moment she saw him, something like relief washed over her face. Then, her gaze shimmered as if she was about to burst into tears.

“Are you D-Do-Jin...?”

The fuck?

That was how he met his new manager.