in the meeting room, Jaesung set down the documents he was reading.
Dressed in his usual white dress shirt with sleeves rolled up for work, he asked, "Have we finalized the broadcast schedules with the networks?"
Manager Hwang Chang-min, looking slightly tense, replied, "Both terrestrial and cable networks agreed to air the ad during prime time for the first month. The 8 PM to midnight slot on weekdays and weekends has the highest ratings, so we can expect good results."
"That slot's always fully booked, so securing it for a month couldn't have been easy. Good work."
"We arranged it as you instructed, but the ad budget has significantly exceeded projections. I'm not sure if that's okay."
"I'll handle that, so don't worry."
Despite Jaesung's assurance, Hwang remained uneasy.
As part of the owning family, Jaesung wouldn't face serious repercussions if things went wrong, but Hwang's neck was on the line.
If it's just a pay cut, I'll be lucky…
Hwang's stomach churned, but with Jaesung pushing so hard, he had no choice.
"What about placing ads on internet portals?"
Kwon Hyuk-jae answered promptly, "We've secured banner and video ad contracts with all five major domestic portals, including Yahoo Korea. The ads will go live on their main pages the moment the product launches."
"You made sure to include a clause preventing competitor ads for at least three months, right?"
"Luckily, competitors didn't prioritize this ad space, so we secured exclusivity by paying 1.5 times the average ad rate."
Hwang interjected, "Wouldn't it be better to focus on magazines or celebrity sponsorships? I'm skeptical about the effectiveness of internet ads."
At the time, the internet's importance was recognized, but it wasn't a major player in the ad market.
Hwang's concern was understandable.
"Who's our target demographic for this campaign?" Jaesung asked.
"The 20s and 30s, the younger generation," Kwon replied.
"Manager Hwang, how many hours do you spend online daily?"
Caught off guard, Hwang answered, "Excluding work, probably less than an hour."
"I thought so. Now, let's ask the 20- and 30-something team members here. How many hours do you spend online daily?"
"…"
"Most of you are glued to the internet from the moment you wake up until you go to bed. For our target audience, isn't the internet more effective than TV?"
Hwang paused, then nodded, conceding the point.
"I understand."
As the meeting wrapped up, Jaesung scanned the team.
Exhausted from consecutive late nights, they looked worn out.
The men sat with wrinkled shirts and hollow eyes, and the few female employees weren't much better.
"I know you're all tired. But just a few more days of effort, and we're done. Let's push through."
"Yes…"
"In that spirit, let's have another coffee."
Large coffee cups already littered the table, but they weren't enough.
By the end of this, their veins might be pumping caffeine.
The half-dazed team grabbed their coffees and returned to their desks.
Clunk.
"Not started yet, right?"
The older sister tossed her bag onto the sofa as she entered.
"Nope, it's ad break."
The younger sister had already set up snacks and ice cream on the table.
"Almost missed the start. Ugh, my boss loves team dinners way too much."
"Your feet stink! Go wash!"
"Hey! Don't talk like that to your hardworking sister."
Swinging her stockinged feet, the older sister grinned as the younger one recoiled.
After some playful chaos, they plopped onto the floor as the drama's opening played.
"Today's the day that cheating husband gets exposed, right?"
"They were in the room when the wife walked in. It's gonna be a mess."
"Total chaos! So fun!"
Leaning against the sofa, the older sister giggled, holding a cold can of beer and snacking on potato chips with mayo-dipped squid.
But the high-rated drama meant long ad breaks, and her face soured.
"These ads are way too long."
"We'll finish eating before it starts."
They'd already devoured over half the potato chips.
Grumbling, the sisters watched as a new phone ad played with music.
"Oh, it's Park Chan-su! He shot a new ad."
The older sister, a fan of handsome actors, munched on chips.
When Park Chan-su danced comically to the beat, both burst out laughing.
"What the hell is that?"
"Park Chan-su can dance like that?"
"I'm trying that at the club tomorrow. I'll be a star."
"Please, no."
"But it's hilarious. Total hit."
Giggling, the older sister said, "I was due for a new phone anyway. Maybe I'll get that one."
"The pink one looked really pretty."
"Right?"
"Buy me one while you're at it."
"Are you crazy?"
As they bickered, the drama started.
The characters' shouting match drew their full attention.
While fiddling with her phone, the older sister recalled the ad.
It was fun, stylish, and seemed high-quality—maybe it was time for an upgrade.
Jeil Group's new phone ad became an instant sensation upon airing.
The catchy music and quirky head movements earned it the nickname "Millstone Dance."
Clubs were filled with people doing the dance, and the ad's pop song echoed on the streets.
As the Millstone Dance became a cultural icon, young consumers' desire to buy exploded.
"How many units?"
"20,000 units sold in the first week since launch."
Even Chairman Park, usually stoic, couldn't hide his surprise.
"That's almost 3,000 units a day."
"Yes. Even more encouraging, sales are still skyrocketing."
"What was the average daily sales for the Blue 100?"
Chief of Staff Jung Tae-kyu answered, "500 units."
"Despite the higher price with advanced features, sales are soaring. Remarkable."
Leaning back, Chairman Park continued, "The subsidy program seems to be working."
"The subsidies expanded the market, but the ad's impact is significant."
"The ad?" Chairman Park frowned, caught off guard.
"The ad led by the youngest master is generating huge buzz. Given that most buyers are young, its influence is undeniable."
"Is that true?"
"Here's the analysis from our secretarial office."
Chairman Park reviewed the documents, his expression unreadable.
"Huh. I gave him a chance since he was confident, but I didn't expect much. A blind squirrel finds a nut, huh? I didn't see this coming."
"Blood doesn't lie," Jung said.
Chairman Park remained cool-headed.
"It's just one success. Don't make a fuss."
His standards were strict, even for his own flesh and blood—perhaps especially so.
"With sales exceeding expectations, how's inventory?"
"They're ramping up production as we speak."
"We can't miss this opportunity due to shortages. Tell them to prioritize supply. You row when the tide comes in."
"Understood."
It was a golden chance to reclaim market share lost to competitors.
Fueled by the Millstone Dance craze, the Blue DMB Phone sold like wildfire, breaking records daily.
The company was in a festive mood, especially the marketing department, where Jaesung's team basked in pride for their sleepless efforts.
Amid this, Jaesung was preoccupied with a recent change.
"Last week, a competitor launched their product, but contrary to concerns, our sales keep climbing. And…"
Manager Hwang was reporting sales figures.
But Jaesung's gaze was fixed on the air above Hwang.
What's that?
[Manager Hwang Chang-min ? Jeil Group Marketing Division
Trust Level: 40
??: ??]
When they first met, Hwang's trust level was around 20—a huge leap.
Likely due to the ad's success.
That part made sense.
But what are those question marks?
Since the mysterious system message at the shoot, those marks had appeared in the status window.
Positioned below trust level, they seemed related, but the persistent question marks were annoying.
Do I need to meet some condition to see them?
Jaesung stewed until frustration got the better of him, and he flung his pen.
"How am I supposed to work with no answers?!"
No proper tutorial—what was he supposed to do?
"Director?"
Hwang's voice snapped Jaesung back.
"Uh… was there something in my report you didn't like?"
Hwang eyed him cautiously.
Jaesung realized he'd spoken his thoughts aloud.
"It's nothing."
He picked up the pen from the desk's edge.
"So, as of yesterday, Blue DMB Phone sales surpassed 50,000 units, right?"
"Yes. At this rate, we'll easily exceed 200,000 by year-end."
"That means we've hit our sales target."
"Absolutely."
Nodding, Jaesung grabbed the documents Hwang brought and stood.
"Where are you going?"
"To the chairman's office. We've achieved results, so it's time to claim our reward."
"…?!"
Hwang's eyes widened as he processed the implication.