Chapter 155: Chapter 155

“... Thank you. I will use it if I have to show off my business card somewhere.”

Choi Yeonseung accepted the business card.

“Wait. That’s weird.”

“Huh? Is there a spelling mistake?”

“No, but… Why am I the CEO?”

“Haha. That isn’t it.”

“Ah. Is it an error?”

“It’s a joint CEO position,” Nguyen proudly said, rendering Choi Yeonseung speechless. Being parachuted into the company like this… Wasn’t this too much?

“I don’t really care about other people, but isn’t this a bit too much?”

Cursing Choi Yeonseung aside, their hardworking people could lose motivation if they saw this.

Nguyen shook his head. “No one will be dissatisfied with this. This industry is all about skills in the first place.”

The raid industry had such fierce scouts that a company could find its talent going to its competitor in the blink of an eye. Everything was allowed for as long as they were capable. In addition, the researchers saw and were convinced firsthand what Choi Yeonseung could create, so they certainly wouldn’t complain.

“The company always gives hunters preferential treatment to a certain extent. After all, if they’re offered a low position, they wouldn’t even consider joining.”

Hunters invited to join the company had to be offered a director or manager-level position, at the very least. That was how valuable a hunter’s abilities were.

‘They don’t just want me to slay monsters... No. I shouldn’t think like this.’

Choi Yeonseung reflected on his own thoughts. A hunter’s job wasn’t just doing raids. Fighting other hunters, throwing crazy parties, going on TV, and doing business could also be parts of a hunter’s job.

-You don’t seem to think so at all, Successor, so don’t overdo it.

No matter how hard Choi Yeonseung tried, it was surprisingly hard to change his mind. Values were hard to change!

“CEO... What does a CEO do?”

“We produce results. I know you’re busy, however, so I’ll take care of the complicated paperwork. You just have to do one thing: develop useful artifacts. However, ‘useful’ doesn’t just mean performance. It also means sellability on the market.”

Artificial artifacts had a highly competitive market. After all, it wasn’t just about items. This important industry was connected to the country’s national strength! All countries naturally wanted their companies to bring great performance, but the market was cold due to the fierce competition.

Out of the countless artificial artifacts that appeared in a year, only three or four survived. Hunters were very composed.

-If you are a Chinese hunter, then buy Hu Feng artifacts! Chinese people! Use Hu Feng artifacts out of patriotism!

-Do you want us to die in dungeon raids?

-The ■ing?developer of this item should show themselves! Its magic isn’t working!

Even China with its strong control couldn’t force its hunters to use their local artificial artifacts. It was really hard to deal with the hunters once they exploded with anger.

“What are the conditions an item has to meet to bring in good sales?”

“It should be durable, imbued with versatile skills, have great damage, is generally usable, and have a great and cool design.”

“The design as well?”

“Yes, that’s also a very important factor.”

“... Continue.”

“Price, among other things, is also important.”

‘I’m already losing confidence.’

Choi Yeonseung started to worry that the cat constellation’s guidance made others’ expectations of him too high. He never thought he would end up working as a corporate executive in his entire life...

Nguyen laughed as if he noticed Choi Yeonseung’s worries. “You don’t have to worry too much. The short sword you made last time? We think that alone already has a significant competitive advantage.”

“Really?”

“Yes. However, the design of its hilt…. feels a bit childish, so there is a discussion about working on that part.”

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is angry! It says that those who don’t know the ‘D’ in design are daring to talk about things they don’t understand!]

“Other than that, I think we will be able to release it this quarter.”

“Hah...”

“Don’t worry too much. Businesses always have that possibility of not producing results, don’t they?”

Choi Yeonseung felt curious after hearing Nguyen’s easygoing words.

‘Ah. Isn’t it okay since Gyeongryong hyung is backing him up?’

Nguyen seemed to have Hwang Gyeongryong’s trust, which meant it might be okay to fail a few times.

“What happens if we don’t get results or the model we develop fails? Do we have to write an apology?”

“Not really...”

“No?”

“Won’t that mean I’ll have to step down as CEO?”

“... Wait, what?”

Choi Yeonseung was flustered. It would make sense for Choi Yeonseung to step down in that situation, but why Nguyen?

“Why would you have to?”

“Now that you have the position, I have to take responsibility for recommending you.”

“No... All things considered, wouldn’t it be Gyeongryong hyung’s fault?”

“Y-you mean that the chairman should step down?”

Nguyen was astonished. Was this what Hwang Gyeongryong meant when he referred to Choi Yeonseung as a ‘tiger bastard’?

“Not exactly. What I’m trying to say is that Gyeongryong hyung should be the one held responsible.”

“Thank you for your concern, but... this isn’t the chairman’s responsibility. I am prepared. Executive positions have always been like the life of a mayfly. You will get tremendous benefits, but you have to step down if you don’t produce results.”

Nguyen was very calm.

“Can’t you stop it by telling Gyeongryong hyung?”

“I can’t. Do you know how the chairman runs the group?”

“Uh... Doesn’t he leave everything to others and just play golf?”

“That is a bit malicious, but it isn’t entirely wrong.”

Hwang Gyeongryong’s management of the group was one of trust and neglect. He put reliable talents in key positions in the group and gave them autonomy! It sounded easy, but it wasn’t something that everyone could do. He listened closely to others when running his own company.

Choi Yeonseung wasn’t aware of it, but Hwang Gyeongryong had been on the cover of the United State’s Fortune magazine due to this.

-Dragon Hwang’s leadership, the myth of the hunter-turned-executive!

-How?did Dragon?Industry conquer the world? A leadership of faith!

“I think this is all just because he’s lazy by nature and hates doing troublesome things...”

Nguyen pretended he didn’t hear what Choi Yeonseung said.

“Anyway, do you know the most important factor in bringing these talents together?”

“I don’t.”

“Principles.”

“......”

Hwang Gyeongryong could manage various talents from all over the world without conflict not only because of his great treatment but also his principles. Surprisingly, he had always stayed true to the principles he had declared before. They served as a solid foundation for maintaining trust within the group.

“One of those principles is to step down if you don’t get results. I?recommended you, so I can’t be ugly and stubborn if this fails.”

If Hwang Gyeongryong broke his principles and tried to stop Nguyen, Nguyen himself would be the first to refuse.

“Principles are indeed important.”

As a constellation, Choi Yeonseung agreed, but for a different reason. Those who denied their own principles wouldn’t grow any further. The most important thing was to stay true to themselves.

With utter sincerity, Nguyen said, “I’ve always done my best so I won’t have any regrets if ever I have to step down.”

‘This is a big deal. He is crazier than I thought.’

Choi Yeonseung was stunned. To put someone he just met in the CEO position… What type of person was Nguyen?

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says you just have to do it.]

-... Yes, thank you. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The cat constellation was right. For the sake of this madman’s CEO position, Choi Yeonseung had to perform, even if just a little.

‘The goal is mediocrity. I’ll just produce average results.’

Choi Yeonseung’s objective was very conservative. He didn’t want to create an innovative model or a revolution in artificial artifacts. He just wanted to make sure that they would get sales as usual! At the very least, that would prevent this crazy guy from getting fired.

***

There were many ways to make artificial artifacts, but one of the most prominent methods was to process Abyss materials. The materials from the Abyss were extremely susceptible to change. Their attributes would change depending on how many times they were hammered and how much pressure or heat was applied to them. Using various theories and statistics, the researchers tried to find optimal results.

What skills would an item have if made using a certain process? What would its durability and damage be? Through endless trial and error, they had to find a formula that would make it easy to mass-produce an artifact. Such discoveries were called golden formulas.

… The Frozen Blue Long Sword made by Choi Yeonseung had a level of completion so close to perfection that it no longer required further processes! That was only natural, though, since the cat constellation had taught him the process itself.

-Hmm. By the way, cat constellation. Can’t the people here just copy what I did?

Choi Yeonseung was a beginner in production, but he was a master of making full use of his body. People couldn’t knead steel and hit it with their internal energy like he did.

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says it won’t be as perfect as when the incarnation made it, but it isn’t impossible.]

They could do it with the powerful hydraulic press if they wanted to apply the same force Choi Yeonseung exerted whenever he hit the material with internal energy, and artificially lowering the temperature could replicate his release of cold air.

The technological prowess of humans surprised even the cat constellation. They could even reproduce the techniques without a single spell.

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says it is too awkward to use machines instead of a craftsman to mass-produce it, however.]

-Sorry. You have to put up with it.

Choi Yeonseung told the cat constellation. He had to bring results to this business, so he had no choice. How could Hwang Gyeongryong swear at China despite having so many factories in its territory? Craftsmen who created masterpiece after masterpiece would go down in history, but companies that produced hundreds of thousands of industrial products ruled the world!

-This reminds me of the old days.

-Uh. Did you have a knack for blacksmithing as well?

Choi Yeonseung’s eyes shone, making him look as if he would grab her by the collar and make her work immediately. It genuinely scared the goddess of sloth. At times like this, there was no successor!

-... No, I meant it reminded me of an old story about my household member.

The Goddess of Defeat and Sloth’s household member, a very outstanding warlock, had this idea one day.

‘Why get sentient workers? They have to be paid and fed, among other things. They’re extremely annoying. Can’t we just let the undead do chores?’

-Isn’t that a crazy idea?

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is dumbfounded, finding the idea insane!]

Most undead were incapable of doing intricate work. They could even barely follow dull and simple commands. A strong undead could handle it, but it was crazy to have such an undead do chores...

-No. That household member succeeded. He ended up creating a spell.

-... What? Really?

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is shocked!]

Magic to make the undead work. It was unbelievable. To think there was such a great magician…

[The ‘Manipulator of Dreams and Desires’ begs to have the secret revealed!]

Even the Manipulator of Dreams and Desires, who normally just quietly listened, couldn’t stand it.

There was really such magic!