Chairman Park's brow furrowed at his youngest son's bold request.
"So, you're telling me to cough up money?"
"It's a performance bonus."
"Same difference."
Jaesung met Chairman Park's sharp gaze, sitting confidently on the sofa.
"If you look at the Blue DMB Phone's sales, I believe we've earned it."
"I heard the ad's quite popular. But that's secondary. Don't you think the product itself met consumer needs? If so, the development team deserves more credit."
The pointed remark made Jaesung think, He's not easy, but he responded calmly.
"Of course, it's a collective effort from various departments. But no matter how great a product is, what's the point if consumers don't choose it?"
Gauging Chairman Park's reaction, he continued, "In the fierce competition of new product launches, I'm confident our marketing made this success possible."
Chairman Park wondered if his youngest son had always been this brazen.
In a stern tone, he said, "Merits will be rewarded in due time without you intervening. Now leave."
Jaesung took a deep breath.
Despite his calm facade, standing up to a titan like Chairman Park was no easy feat.
But he'd come too far to back down.
"I promised my team that if the ad succeeded, I'd secure their bonus. Please make that happen."
Chairman Park clicked his tongue.
"Making promises like the company's yours! And while we're at it, I hear you overspent the ad budget without approval."
Despite the harsh rebuke, Jaesung didn't flinch.
"It was unavoidable to meet the launch deadline. I admit fault for bypassing procedure and will accept any consequences."
"Really?"
"If you want, I'll submit my resignation right now."
He'd anticipated backlash for the budget overrun.
But since it benefited the group, he believed Chairman Park, who valued results, would let it slide.
Chairman Park's eyes narrowed at Jaesung's willingness to take responsibility without excuses.
"Regardless of my punishment, I urge you to approve the bonus to maintain the new product's momentum and boost team morale."
"Hmm."
Chairman Park, arms crossed, stared at him in silence.
Then, in a heavy tone, he said, "Fine. As you say, it'll boost morale, so I'll approve the bonus."
"Thank you."
"But no matter how good the results, I won't tolerate acting on your own like this again."
His tone was icy.
"If you pull this stunt again, I won't let it slide. Be careful."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Chairman Park gazed at his compliant son with an unreadable expression.
"Alright. You can go."
Jaesung bowed and left.
Watching him, Chairman Park stroked his chin, murmuring, "Is he finally growing up?"
He'd thought Jaesung was a rotten seed, but perhaps a sprout was emerging.
This is getting interesting, he thought, a small smile forming.
A few days later, in the morning, Jaesung emerged from his office as the team arrived, clapping lightly.
"Alright! I've got an announcement, so listen up."
The team, seated at their desks, peeked over their partitions.
Looking at their curious faces, Jaesung said, "I made a promise to you all last time."
"A promise?"
"Was there one…?"
As they tilted their heads, Jang Hana shot up her hand.
"Me!"
"Jang Hana, go ahead."
"You said if the ad was a hit, you'd get us a bonus from the chairman!"
Realization spread through the team with gasps.
"Oh, right!"
"I totally forgot!"
Their eyes sparkled with excitement.
Jaesung grinned at their eager faces.
"The 200% performance bonus will be deposited today!"
A massive cheer erupted.
"Wooow!"
"A bonus!"
"Director, you're the best!"
He continued, "Let's keep pushing so the DMB Blue Phone achieves even greater success and we can score another big year-end bonus!"
Amid their cheers, Jaesung returned to his office with a satisfied smile.
As he sat, a system window popped up.
[Sudden Quest Success!
Team trust level increased by 10 points.
Current Trust Level: (30/100)
10 Lucky Coins awarded as quest completion reward.]
Another pop-up followed.
[First quest success bonus: Additional team trust level increase.
Current Trust Level: (40/100)
5 Lucky Coins awarded.
Current Total: 15 Coins
Chairman Park Kyung-su's trust level increased.
Current Trust Level: (25/100)]
The flurry of pop-ups filled his vision.
"Holy crap."
Just one quest, and the rewards were far beyond expectations.
Grinning, Jaesung closed the windows.
"But Lucky Coins? What are those?"
Something new had appeared.
Displayed like Gold Coins in the status window, but what were they for?
As he wondered, an explanation appeared.
[Lucky Coins can be used for the Lucky Draw. Depending on probability, one-time skill cards may be obtained.]
"A draw!"
Jaesung's eyes gleamed.
Draws were a staple of mobile games—and notorious for draining wallets.
Rubbing his palms, he tapped the new Lucky Draw icon.
[Would you like to try the draw? Yes / No]
"Obviously yes! Gotta go for it!"
A slot machine-like device with a lever appeared, adorned with flashing casino lights and cheesy BGM, exuding a tacky, gambling vibe.
"Let's start with a 10-pull."
Laughing, Jaesung pressed the button, and his 15 Lucky Coins dropped to 5.
[Lucky Draw Begin!]
The display spun rapidly with images and numbers.
A white flash and fireworks exploded, followed by a fanfare.
"Did I win?"
Jaesung's hips wiggled in anticipation.
[Sorry! Failed!]
"What the hell? Why's a bust so dramatic?"
Ten coins, and not a single hit?
Who designed a failure with fanfare?
They're not giving it up easily.
Fuming, Jaesung decided to burn through the rest, this time one by one.
[Miss! Try again.]
Consecutive misses fueled his anger.
"You piece of—"
He swallowed the curse rising in his throat.
With one coin left, he inserted it, pulling the lever with a whatever attitude.
Ding-ding-ding! Fanfare!
[Congratulations! You've won the Peitho Goddess's Blessing Card.
Effect: Instantly maxes out the target's favorability.
Duration: 30 minutes
Uses: 1]
Finally, a one-time skill card on the last try, but Jaesung looked deflated.
"This is a total scam! What is this crap?"
Fifteen coins for one card?
He clutched his head in despair.
Glancing at the coin description, he noticed faint text he'd missed.
[Lucky Coins can be used for the Lucky Draw. One-time skill cards may be obtained at very low probability.
※ Excessive betting and gambling addiction can ruin finances and families. Please exercise caution.]
"Very low probability…"
Based on results, it was maybe a 1% chance.
This was practically user deception.
The warning at the end grated on his nerves even more.
As Jaesung silently tore at his hair, Manager Hwang walked in, their eyes meeting.
"…"
"…"
A cold silence hung between them.
"Uh… I knocked, but you didn't hear."
Hwang's gaze slid sideways.
"Ahem. Is that so? What's up?"
Jaesung coughed awkwardly.
Hwang, pretending he hadn't seen anything, handed over documents.
"The materials you requested."
Jaesung flipped through them, nodding.
"As expected, while the new product is popular, our overall market share lags behind competitors."
"With Blue DMB Phone sales steadily rising, we should significantly boost share next quarter."
"Industry leaders Saseong and TG Electronics aren't pushovers. To catch them, we need follow-up hits to keep consumers hooked."
"You're right."
Setting the folder down, Jaesung asked, "Is there no talk about this in the electronics division?"
"They're preparing a follow-up model, but I hear no specific concept has been set."
"The Blue series typically launches every 18 months, right?"
"Yes."
"Then the concept should be finalized by year-end."
"To meet development deadlines, yes."
Hwang, gauging Jaesung's mood, cautiously asked, "Are you planning to get involved in the follow-up's concept?"
"Since we proved marketing's importance with the Blue DMB Phone, collaborating from the product development stage could yield even better results, don't you think?"
"That's true, but…"
Hwang hesitated, showing reluctance.
"They won't take kindly to it in electronics."
"Why's that?"
"They might see it as us encroaching on their territory."
Jaesung's nose wrinkled as he caught the meaning.
"They'll think we're stealing their rice bowl and get defensive."
"I heard they're already upset that marketing's getting all the credit for the new product launch. If we meddle in the follow-up, they'll push back hard."
They developed the product, but marketing stole the spotlight?
Jaesung could see why they'd be annoyed.
"It's great that you're motivated, but… you might stir up unnecessary trouble. Please reconsider."
Jaesung scratched his chin, deep in thought.
Hwang was right.
Pushing forward could spark conflict with the electronics division.
But with my own problems, I can't afford to be picky.
The sudden quest success had raised Chairman Park's trust level.
But only by 5 points.
Far from the main quest's goal of 50, with four months left, time was tight.
I need a big hit to boost trust significantly in the remaining time.
His solution: lead the marketing division to develop a blockbuster Blue DMB Phone successor.
A sustained success, showing a clear change from his past, could sway even Chairman Park's iron heart.
I don't want trouble, but this is the only way to earn his trust.
Resolved, Jaesung looked up and said, "Tell the team to brainstorm ideas for the Blue series successor and report by Friday."
"Director," Hwang began, trying to dissuade him.
Cutting him off, Jaesung said seriously, "What do you think the marketing division's role is?"
"To help sell more of the group's products."
"Exactly. Planning a new product that appeals to consumers is an extension of that. There's no reason it should be an issue."
"Still…"
"If we only do promotions, how are we different from an outsourced ad agency?"
Hwang, unable to argue, looked troubled.
"This is a chance for the marketing division to become the group's central control tower, overseeing product planning across affiliates."
"A control tower?" Hwang asked, shocked.
"Yes."
Hwang clamped his mouth shut at the bold declaration.
His mind raced with conflicting thoughts.
He didn't believe Jaesung's vision could come true overnight.
But a small spark of hope kept rising.
What if it did?
Ambition stirred deep within him.
"Don't you need more achievements to become an executive, Manager Hwang?"
Jaesung seemed to see right through Hwang's internal struggle.
After a moment's hesitation, Hwang spoke with a firm expression.
"As you said, I'll have the team prepare ideas for the Blue series successor by Friday."
Jaesung smiled at the desired response.
Luxury Phone (1)