Chapter 50: A Super Rookie from the Start (Part 5)

Three times the offered amount.

Three times 100 million was 300 million.

An enormous sum.

Far too much for a signing bonus.

CEO Park’s hardened expression showed no signs of softening.

He slowly opened his mouth, his voice curt.

“300 million… Do you think that’s reasonable?”

Even for a top streamer, a 300 million won signing bonus was rare. Almost unheard of.

It was far from normal.

One could even call it an excessive demand.

“Yes, it’s reasonable.”

If this were a “normal” situation, that is.

CEO Park’s eyes narrowed at Ji-eun’s firm reply. Manager Kim, sitting next to him, immediately protested.

“Euning! What are you saying? How is 300 million reasonable?”

Manager Kim frowned at Ji-eun.

“None of our streamers have received that much as a signing bonus. Isn’t 300 million too greedy? Don’t you think so, Creator Sung Shihyun?”

“No, this is a reasonable request.”

“Hey, Kim Ji-eun!”

As Manager Kim’s voice rose, CEO Park raised his hand to stop him. He turned and gazed intently at Ji-eun.

Her unwavering eyes met his.

CEO Park bit his lip and asked, “…If you say 300 million is reasonable, you must have a valid reason.”

“Of course.”

“What is it?”

CEO Park stared at Ji-eun. Unintimidated, she replied clearly, “Because 300 million is the minimum annual salary.”

“…!!”

Minimum annual salary.

CEO Park’s eyes widened. He quickly turned to Shihyun, who blinked at his sudden attention.

His voice wavering, CEO Park cautiously asked, “Creator Shihyun, are you considering going pro?”

“…Pro?”

What was he talking about?

Shihyun tilted her head in confusion.

Suddenly, she felt fingers poking her thigh. Ji-eun was nudging her. Shihyun glanced at her, but Ji-eun’s gaze remained fixed on CEO Park.

Shihyun replied hesitantly, “I’m considering it…?”

She didn’t understand, but this seemed like the answer Ji-eun wanted. Her years in ‘that world’ had honed her ability to read between the lines.

And that was exactly the answer Ji-eun was hoping for.

“The minimum annual salary for professional teams is 300 million won, right? If Shihyun chooses to be a streamer, it means giving up on a professional career. So, she should be compensated accordingly.”

“That’s absurd!”

Manager Kim immediately retorted.

He glared at CEO Park.

“Just because Creator Sung Shihyun didn’t choose to go pro doesn’t mean we have to pay her 300 million! That’s preposterous! Sir, a 300 million signing bonus is unprecedented. Such a contract would be a loss for us.”

“We’re just asking for the minimum amount.”

“Euning, we have to offer what’s feasible! Do you really think 300 million is reasonable? No company would offer that!”

An argument erupted between Ji-eun and Manager Kim.

Meanwhile, CEO Park remained silent.

He was deep in thought.

‘300 million.’

The minimum annual salary for Arfellium pro teams was 300 million won.

Or rather, $300,000. It was calculated in US dollars because it was the minimum salary set by Arfellium HQ in the US.

‘We can afford 300 million.’

It wasn’t impossible. Five Star Creative, while it would sting, could afford it.

The question was, was it worth it?

CEO Park looked at Shihyun.

Her beauty was breathtaking. Even the simple act of sipping coffee looked like a scene from a movie. When she walked, it was as if she was on a runway.

How much was that beauty worth?

“……”

As the debate between Manager Kim and Ji-eun intensified, and Shihyun started to wonder if she should intervene…

CEO Park, having finished his deliberation, slowly spoke.

“Alright.”

“But, sir… What? Sir?”

“I accept your proposal.”

“Sir!”

Manager Kim cried out in surprise, but CEO Park’s decision was firm. His eyes gleaming, he looked directly at Shihyun. His gaze was intense, almost overwhelming, but Shihyun didn’t flinch.

She met his gaze head-on.

“…300 million, no. I’ll give you 500 million. Let’s sign a contract.”

That was the moment Shihyun joined Five Star.

“Whew!”

After CEO Park and his entourage left, both Shihyun and Ji-eun exhaled simultaneously, the tension draining from their bodies.

They slumped in their seats for a moment. Then, their eyes met.

Ji-eun grinned.

And then, she cheered.

She raised her arms in the air and shouted, “We did it!”

“We did.”

“We did it! Congratulations, Shihyun!”

Ji-eun hugged Shihyun tightly. Shihyun patted her back, smiling at her genuine excitement.

500 million.

A signing bonus of 500 million won.

It was a jackpot.

A grand slam.

“500 million! Oh my god, I didn’t think it would work!”

You just threw out a random number and hoped for the best?

Shihyun was taken aback, but her surprise quickly faded. The result was good, so everything was fine.

“It’s a victory of faith.”

Ji-eun nodded at Shihyun’s murmur.

Yes, it was a victory of faith.

Shihyun had trusted Ji-eun. Knowing nothing about the industry, she had no choice but to trust Ji-eun and leave everything to her. And that trust had been rewarded.

With 500 million won!

“Oh my god, 500 million. You could buy a house outright. Actually, maybe that’s what you should do? With a mortgage.”

“I already have a place.”

She had the two-room apartment she found with Ji-eun. They had just signed the lease; why would she need another place?

But Ji-eun shook her head.

“You don’t understand. That’s a rental. This is about owning your own place, Shihyun. A place where you don’t have to pay rent to someone every month.”

“Hmm, I don’t really get it.”

“Of course, you don’t have to decide now. You can think about it later. But it’s something to consider.”

“Is that so?”

Shihyun tilted her head but soon agreed.

She had been dragged to ‘that world’ in high school.

She naturally lacked a good grasp of common societal norms.

‘Back in high school, I didn’t care about anything except what I needed for the college entrance exam.’

Of course, it wasn’t like she lacked social experience.

She had dealt with royalty, nobility, and high-ranking officials in ‘that world’. She was confident in her social skills.

‘It’s just that my common sense is a bit…different.’

To her, renting or buying made little difference. But judging by Ji-eun’s words, there seemed to be a significant difference. She didn’t understand, but she would take Ji-eun’s word for it.

“Anyway, good job. Dinner’s on me.”

To celebrate their successful negotiation, they went out for beef.

As expected of a Seoul restaurant, the quality of the meat was excellent. It melted in her mouth.

‘Though my wallet is also melting.’

The prices on the menu nearly made her eyes pop out. But she was satisfied, so it was worth it.

Shihyun stuffed a few pieces of meat into her mouth.

Then, she looked at Ji-eun and asked, “But why, though?”

“Huh? Why what?”

“The contract. You initially asked for 300 million, right? Why did he raise it to 500 million?”

Ji-eun would have accepted 300 million. But CEO Park had added another 200 million. Shihyun couldn’t help but wonder if he had ulterior motives.

“Well…I’m curious about that too.”

“Hmm…”

“But so what?”

Ji-eun swirled her beer and smiled.

“We got an extra 200 million, so it’s all good, right?”

“I guess.”

Shihyun still felt slightly uneasy, but she decided to let it go.

They hadn’t signed the contract yet, and if there were any problems with it, she could always back out.

‘Though 500 million would be a shame to lose…’

Considering the weight of a contract, giving up the money would be better than signing a bad deal.

And…

“Actually, I don’t think anything’s wrong.”

Her years of hardship in ‘that world’ had taught her how to read people. When they were finalizing the agreement, CEO Park’s eyes didn’t look deceitful.

Instead, they looked like he was looking at a treasure.

A precious, incredibly valuable treasure.

And that treasure was probably her.

Shihyun raised her glass and smiled.

‘A treasure…’

That wasn’t such a bad way to be seen.