AECS 18

Chapter 18

Yu Ji-ah (2)

While tidying up his summons and waiting for a response from headquarters, Baek Jin-woo’s phone chimed.

Ding!

A message had arrived.

“Regarding what you requested last time, we’d like to give you an answer. Shall we discuss it in person? I can send you the address—if you can come at the scheduled time, that would be great.”

It was a message from Yu Ji-ah—the same one he had seen before.

“Ho-oh, already.”

Baek Jin-woo grinned.

He had poked a little, just in case—but were they really going to buy it?

It was fascinating.

₩1.3 billion wasn’t small change. Yet with just one piece of information, they moved so decisively.

The weekday dungeon core unit info was only low-level intel to Baek Jin-woo, making it even more amazing.

“I have to go… I absolutely have to go.”

The meeting time was set for 6 PM that evening.

The location was a place called Daeseonggung in Gangnam.

A quick search showed it was a high-end Korean restaurant with private rooms.

“…Wow. Wonder what the menu is like.”

He skimmed through it: the basic course started at ₩1,000,000.

For someone like Baek Jin-woo, an ordinary guy, this was a place he’d never have visited.

How good could the food be there?

He licked his lips.

Reading the reviews, he expected complaints about the high price.

But to his surprise, everyone praised the place.

It was said to be prepared by a top chef selected by the Daeseong Group—fine dining at its peak.

“What? Truly world-class cuisine that everyone should try at least once in a lifetime?”

“Wow.”

Baek Jin-woo was impressed.

The headquarters staff were showing a little effort.

This made him more willing to share information.

Honestly, he had anticipated the worst-case scenario.

“They might see the purchase list of my summons, stay silent, and research it on their own.”

Well, maybe they’d figure something out in the process.

But seeing Baek Jin-woo in action firsthand would be the cleanest, most reliable way to get information.

‘Of course.’

Even if they did, it didn’t matter.

After all, the information they would get was just the tip of the iceberg.

If headquarters lost trust in him, that would be the end of that relationship.

Any trades would be done with large private guilds instead.

“Let’s see.”

What would headquarters say?

Baek Jin-woo looked forward to the evening.

Time passed.

6 PM.

“Whoa…”

Arriving at Daeseonggung, Baek Jin-woo felt overwhelmed.

It was like stepping into a grand ballroom of a five-star hotel.

‘Is this really a restaurant?’

It looked like a place designed to entertain high-ranking officials.

“Welcome. Do you have a reservation?”

At the counter, a staff member greeted him with a refined voice.

“Yes.”

“May I have the reservation name?”

“Yu Ji-ah.”

“…!”

At that moment, the staff’s expressions changed instantly.

Their previously soft movements became precise and formal.

What’s going on? Why are they acting like this?

“Are you Baek Jin-woo?”

A tall, seemingly important man—not a regular employee—approached and guided him.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Please follow me. We will take you to the VIP room.”

VIP?

There had been no mention of such a thing in the reviews.

The staff led him into an elevator inside the building. After a long ride, the doors opened with a ding!

“Please enjoy your time.”

Baek Jin-woo noticed the polite staff now completely disappeared.

The moment the elevator opened, the Seoul night view spread out beautifully.

The VIP room of Daeseonggung was on the top floor and could only be used with the Daeseong family’s permission.

Of course, Baek Jin-woo had no idea about that.

Yu Ji-ah was already there.

“Welcome.”

“Oh, are you alone?”

Where’s the bearded man?

“Today, it’s not headquarters I wanted you to meet, it’s me.”

“What? I wasn’t informed beforehand.”

Baek Jin-woo grew cautious.

Simultaneously, he tensed.

‘That woman…’

She was definitely not a regular headquarters employee.

Ahem, to avoid misunderstanding, let me introduce myself first. Please sit here.

Yu Ji-ah smiled gently, easing his tension, and gave a brief explanation of who she was, how she ended up here, and the establishment of the talent management team.

“Whoa.”

Baek Jin-woo was astonished.

Honestly, he was just amazed.

‘The granddaughter of the Daeseong Group?’

Would he ever see someone like that in his lifetime?

‘Either way, this is a huge advantage for me.’

What Baek Jin-woo needed most was connections.

Connections that could yield a lot of money, directly.

And there was no wealthier group in Korea than the Daeseong family.

‘I could profit a lot from this.’

Their eyes met.

Did they realize it? That they were seeing each other in exactly the same way.

“Shall we start with dinner?”

“Sure.”

The atmosphere immediately lightened.

“Anyway, the conclusion is that support from headquarters will be difficult. Representative Park Chang-seok tried, but… there are too many opposing representatives, and even the last low-level summoning scroll was a bit of a stretch.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Baek Jin-woo nodded casually while tasting his food.

‘Damn, this is delicious.’

The unprecedented taste made it hard for him to focus on the conversation.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. If that’s headquarters’ decision, then so be it.”

Information? If they don’t give it, that’s fine.

Money? He could gather it himself.

Baek Jin-woo would continue growing, and his speed of acquiring items would increase.

It would take time, but the position as world number one was already secured.

‘As long as I have an EX-class summon.’

Even if the past Jinugod returned, he’d be confident.

In fact, if he raised just the explosive dragon properly, world domination would be trivial.

“By the way…”

Finishing a steak in one bite, Baek Jin-woo set down his fork.

“Shall we get to the main topic? Surely, you wouldn’t bring me to such expensive food for no reason.”

“Ho-ho, of course.”

While Baek Jin-woo ate, Yu Ji-ah kept her eyes on him.

Her grandfather had said that a person’s eyes reveal much about them.

‘It’s true.’

Clear, neutral, neither good nor evil.

‘And…’

Her confidence.

Yu Ji-ah found Baek Jin-woo’s boldness fascinating.

Who else would eat so casually knowing her identity?

She had been exposed to elite social circles before.

Most people either felt crushed by the Daeseong name or fawned over her.

‘Refreshing.’

This was perfect for her plan.

If Baek Jin-woo turned out to be a conman, she’d just lose ₩1.3 billion and the company start-up costs.

Not a big deal for her.

But if he was genuine? She could gain hundreds, maybe thousands, of billions in return.

This was a guaranteed profit.

“Actually, I have a proposal I wanted to discuss.”

She decided to speak her mind.

Words are strange.

Even the same content can feel different depending on who says it.

Yu Ji-ah’s tone was comfortable, her explanation clear.

‘Nice.’

A one-on-one management deal.

Baek Jin-woo was satisfied.

He felt more comfortable dealing with the business side than with headquarters.

‘Companies run on money.’

Pursuing maximum legal profit was their nature—and exactly what Baek Jin-woo wanted.

‘And…’

While listening, he discreetly searched for information about Yu Ji-ah.

Surely there’d be some info about a conglomerate granddaughter.

But wow.

[Daeseong Family! Granddaughter Yu Ji-ah, Early Stanford MBA! Achieved entirely on her own!]
[Yu Ji-ah, aiming to become a global CEO? “No interest in participating in management rights.”]
[Yu Ji-ah, top score at Player Headquarters!]
[Genius of the century, Yu Byung-cheon smiling!]

‘She’s really famous?’

Insane.

Looks, family, talent—perfect trifecta.

Even the most idealized “perfect daughter” in fantasy would pale in comparison.

“Do you also manage assets for your management clients?”

“Eh?”

Yu Ji-ah blinked at his sudden question.

‘Asset management?’

Is that the concern right now?

“You could even access company finance info, right? You could make a lot of money from that.”

Even a genius like Baek Jin-woo was only a regular man in his mid-20s outside of Battle of Summoners.

His concern was only money.

And support.

‘Ho-ho, cute.’

Luckily, Yu Ji-ah found this attitude appealing.

After all, she was already interested.

The way he ate was charming in itself.

“Of course I handle asset management. Once the company fully supports you, investment offers will come in. You’ll share in the profits.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You just need to focus on being a player.”

“Sounds good. I like the idea. Yu Ji-ah seems like a good person, even though I haven’t known her long.”

She trusted him enough to invest ₩1.3 billion without hesitation—how could she not be a good person?

Money never lies.

Spending wealth frivolously? Not at all.

The rich are usually frugal and careful.

“So what’s the ratio?”

“I’ll explain the details with the contract at our next meeting. I promise you’ll be satisfied.”

“Next meeting?”

“Tomorrow. I’ll come to the open space.”

“Open space?”

“A chance to check the summons you requested.”

“Oh, you’re giving it even before signing?”

“Yes. In fact, the staff are already preparing the purchase.”

“Eh?”

“We’ll just call it a gift. Even without the contract, the summon will be yours.”

Baek Jin-woo choked.

Is this the power of a conglomerate family?

Generosity beyond measure!

It was clear—Yu Ji-ah was genuinely a good person. At least toward him.

The next day.

Baek Jin-woo arrived at the usual open space near his parents’ home.

A secluded clearing along the hiking trail.

Baek Jin-woo called it Nest.

Few knew of its existence: only Baek Jin-woo, some former talent management staff, and his younger sister Baek Ah-jin.

It had been a place the family explored during childhood walks—a peaceful refuge for exercise and fresh air.

‘What’s my brother up to these days?’

Ah-jin, who had been running the rune shop, wondered.

He used to call often, asking questions, but now there was no contact.

‘He even moved out of mom and dad’s place.’

It felt odd.

She knew he was making money registered as a player…but still…

He had a C-rank summon—why hadn’t he asked for help?

He could even run some dungeons in a party.

She decided to take a break from farming and started hiking early in the morning.

She wanted to walk the familiar family path.

The best part: no one else was around.

The trail wasn’t well-known.

Step by step, she relaxed.

‘Wow.’

Her eyes caught someone.

‘What a beautiful woman.’

Oddly, she wasn’t dressed for hiking.

Full makeup, looking ready for an official event.

‘But why here?’

Normally only local elders walked this trail.

Plus, her path strangely overlapped with Ah-jin’s.

‘Wait.’

That face… she had seen it before.

Ah-jin, tuned into trends and social media, recognized it.

It was a familiar influencer look…

‘Gasp!’

She froze.

‘That’s Yu Ji-ah.’

The dream girl of many!

The flower of the conglomerate world, friends only with national goddess Jang Ah-young!

It had to be Yu Ji-ah.

‘Why is she on such a humble hiking trail?’

She was walking briskly, so Ah-jin couldn’t approach, but curiosity got the better of her.

She started following her as if on the same path.