Ch.5252. Gwangjin Distribution

Gwangjin Distribution is Kim Gwangjin’s company.

In the hunter supply distribution industry, it’s barely hanging in the top 10—not small enough to be called tiny, but if you asked if it’s among the top few, about half of people would respond with “Hmm… I’m not sure?” That kind of ambiguous company.

Well, there are many such companies.

The hunter industry is still considered a blue ocean, with projections that it will continue to grow for the next 100 years.

Dozens of small companies emerge every day, and many close due to bankruptcy or insolvency.

If you do well, you hit the jackpot.

This is certain—in just the short span of 10 years, CEOs of hunter-related companies now occupy more than half of the world’s wealthiest rankings.

The world has changed.

In this changed world, people’s lives and activities all involve dungeon resources in some way, and related businesses continue to develop daily.

Existing companies have boldly incorporated dungeon-related elements and adapted, while those unable to adjust collapsed overnight without warning—nothing unusual about that.

In that sense, Kim Suhyun’s father—Kim Sujeong’s father—Kim Gwangjin should be seen as someone who adapted to reality, tried, challenged, and survived.

He established his company in the early days of the hunter market, built connections by pounding the pavement, and sold goods to get where he is today.

Of course, it wasn’t a smooth path.

He wasn’t particularly lucky either.

If asked whether he lives lavishly, he would sigh.

Money? He’s not without it.

He makes enough to raise a son and daughter, support his wife, and own an apartment in Seoul without lacking necessities, but is he the kind of boss who can do whatever he wants like other wealthy people—traveling abroad, constructing buildings?

No, not quite.

The company still had a lot of debt.

From the beginning, this business can’t exist without debt.

No matter how good the sales are, the better they are, the more you need to invest, find good items, and distribute larger quantities of consumables to grow—it’s a cycle where having no debt means either you’re so rich you’re operating the company with cash or you’re preparing to close up shop.

That’s the reality.

Right now, guilds, companies, hunters, or anyone else will only consistently do business with Gwangjin Distribution if they trust that the company has the items they need for distribution.

If someone needs a specific item, sets a deadline, and places an order, it’s naturally convenient.

Finding items is work too, but in today’s world, unless it’s truly rare, anything can be found if you try.

But the problem comes when someone orders something they need immediately.

You can’t sell what you don’t have, and if you can’t sell it, buyers have no reason to keep using Gwangjin Distribution.

There are many distribution companies.

If they start dealing with other places and find them more convenient or even profitable, you can’t blame them for switching.

So the core challenge of the hunter distribution business is: how much inventory can you secure?

How many rare resources can you obtain?

How many coveted items can you acquire for hunters?

Kim Gwangjin had been pondering this problem for 10 years and was still thinking about it.

And lately, times had been a bit tough.

It wasn’t that the world itself was particularly difficult.

It was just that things had been building up and were about to burst.

In the end, this unfair society where only the top dog thrives meant that even Gwangjin Distribution, which had maintained its position around 10th place, would have to fall if it couldn’t rise further.

He had many worries.

He needed to sell hunter items he had purchased to circulate funds and buy new items, but sales were either stagnating or declining. To grow, he needed marketing and sales efforts, which led to accumulating deficits—a vicious cycle.

While the company wasn’t yet bankrupt or unable to repay debts, it was heading in that direction, which weighed heavily on his mind.

It wasn’t easy to get help either.

But then his son solved the problem.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a complete solution, but it did provide some breathing room.

His son, who had only played games in his room, suddenly disappeared for a week and returned as a completely different person who started being filial.

Had he become a different person? Come to think of it, since childhood, his son had been buried in gaming consoles, and Kim Gwangjin had been too busy growing the company to have proper conversations or thoughts about him.

Perhaps this was his son’s true self all along.

Suddenly bringing an A-grade alchemist and asking for a 100 million won investment to supply potions?

Bringing two hard-to-find B-grade items?

When he casually pulled out a glass stone, Kim Gwangjin was honestly almost shocked.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t tempted.

His son didn’t even need to give it to him as a gift.

If he could just sell it through Gwangjin Distribution…

It might not fulfill dreams of becoming the industry leader overnight, but it would certainly provide enough breathing room.

Unfortunately, his son concluded by saying he would give the glass stone to his sister.

Should he explain the situation and ask for help?

His heart wanted to, but Kim Gwangjin’s character wouldn’t allow it.

They were still just kids.

Supporting and taking responsibility for the family was a father’s duty.

Besides, hadn’t his son already secured a contract with an alchemist who provided potions?

That alone was enough.

It actually did provide breathing room.

“Wow, where did you get potions like these? Is regular supply possible? We’ll continue to offer good prices.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. We don’t receive them regularly yet… We’ll contact you first when more become available.”

“This is so reassuring! Your other products are high quality too. I think we’ll have a good relationship.”

He secured a contract with the Golden Guild, ranked 3rd among guilds—one of the top three most successful guilds in Korea—and with it came additional deals that immediately eased financial pressure.

And that wasn’t all.

The Golden Guild would now consult Gwangjin Distribution for any dungeon supplies they needed.

Considering that top-tier hunters’ dungeon raids involve astronomical profits and equally large investments, this was quite a favorable development.

Above all, behind the Golden Guild stood the Golden Group, ranked 2nd in the business world.

Kim Gwangjin couldn’t help but feel his shoulders rise with pride.

Meeting friends after a long time, he boasted and treated them to a lavish meal.

“Wow, how long has it been since Gwangjin treated us?”

“I hear things are going well these days?”

“Yeah, my son made a big score.”

“I heard he awakened. What grade is he?”

“Ah, his grade isn’t high. He just seems good at finding things in dungeons.”

“Hey, that kind of ability is more important than grade. That kid who used to be cooped up in his room all day is all grown up and being filial to his dad.”

His friends congratulated Kim Gwangjin.

Though not all of them were supportive.

“What’s all the fuss about? You think Golden would be crazy enough to make an exclusive contract with Gwangjin’s company? They’re just testing the waters because the potions are decent. You haven’t even signed an exclusive contract yet, right? If you can’t provide the same quality next time, they’ll drop you in an instant. And are you really basing your business on one son? You need business viability, not just reliance on your son. I heard you’re making potions from healing herbs your son finds? How sustainable is that? What if he can’t find any? What if he has an accident?”

“Hey, watch what you’re saying…”

“Why? It’s true. Is that how a businessman operates? That’s not business—it’s gambling.”

The one throwing shade with a sneer was Yoo Hyunjong.

He was rude, but Kim Gwangjin couldn’t talk back.

Hyunjong was the third son of Hansu Group, Korea’s #1 conglomerate, a second-generation chaebol who ran Hyunjong Distribution—a hunter supply company like Kim Gwangjin’s, but with solid backing from Hansu Group.

Naturally, Hyunjong Distribution was the industry leader.

With Hansu Group’s strong backing providing unlimited resources, the company stably distributed goods to various guilds under the Hansu name and had built a perfect infrastructure importing hunter items from across the country and other nations through various affiliates.

Though only 9 ranks separated them from Gwangjin Distribution, the gap was overwhelming.

Somehow entangled in this relationship, Gwangjin Distribution couldn’t afford to anger Yoo Hyunjong, so Kim Gwangjin couldn’t even express his anger.

His friends could only try to mediate.

And Hyunjong was right.

His son’s luck might have run its course.

In his 10 years in the hunter distribution business, he had seen many hunters rise briefly only to quickly disappear.

Thanks to his son, he had some breathing room, but turning this spark into something sustainable was Kim Gwangjin’s responsibility.

With these mixed feelings, he drank heavily and returned home.

The next day, despite not being fully sober, he had to go to work, so he took a cold shower.

“Dad! On behalf of CEO Kim Suhyun, I have some business matters to discuss, so let’s go to work together!”

This time, his daughter, who had disappeared with his son, came and linked arms with him.

“Huh? Uh…”

Still tipsy, not understanding the situation, Kim Gwangjin arrived at the company and saw things that instantly sobered him up.

“What is this…”

Hundreds of healing herb fruits and leaves.

Pure mushrooms.

Various herbs and leathers.

“You two, how did…”

“Boss, can you sell all of this?”

It wasn’t just Kim Gwangjin looking.

All the staff of Gwangjin Distribution who worked diligently with him.

Everyone covered their mouths with both hands, unable to close their jaws as they stared at the gleaming resources spread across the long conference table.