Ch.9494. Please Stay in Korea

“What if it’s an offer you can’t refuse?”

“Literally an offer you can’t refuse. They’ll propose everything except threats. Money. Honor. Women. They’ll say they’ll give you whatever you want, Mr. Suhyeon.”

“Oh ho.”

“They’ll agree to whatever amount you ask for.”

Kim Jin-hyeop’s words sparked my curiosity.

“Even if I say 200 billion won?”

“Yes. They’ll give you a blank check.”

“What if I spend 10 trillion?”

“I’m not sure about that, but considering your rank, they’ll likely accommodate any reasonable amount.”

“Wow…”

This doesn’t seem like an empty promise.

America truly is a superpower, and it shows right here.

I thought the 20 or 40 billion offered by our country was a lot when I first heard it.

But they’re offering at least ten times that amount.

“Does anyone actually turn down offers like this?”

“Almost no one. That’s why we have treaties… Ah, it’s such a headache.”

“So America can just break those treaties whenever they want?”

“As the founding country of the Hunter Association, they pull some gangster moves from time to time. In your case, since you’re such a rare specimen…”

“Hmm… But I haven’t been contacted by anyone yet. No foreigners?”

“That’s right.”

Despite what he says, I don’t recall receiving any offers from foreigners, and neither has Kim Sujeong.

“From what we understand, they planned to contact you after purchasing items at the auction, but Ms. Hyoju bought the armor, and you rejected the others who made purchases.”

“Ah. I think two people did try to meet with me back then.”

“That was me.”

“And the other one must have been American.”

I asked:

“Should I refuse them?”

Team Leader Kim Jin-hyeop looked at me with desperate eyes.

But his answer contradicted his expression.

“Of course, you should do whatever you want. I’d appreciate it if you refused, but you have neither the right nor the obligation to do so.”

“Really?”

“Honestly, as a hunter, it’s an attractive offer. If I received such an offer, I might have accepted it myself.”

“Hmm…”

“But speaking from the Hunter Association’s position, I sincerely ask that you please stay in South Korea.”

His expression was quite desperate.

“To be completely honest, I wish you would join our Hunter Association and work with me… but it’s okay if you don’t. Just please don’t go to America. I’ve brought 10 billion won as compensation. It’s not much, but the condition is that you can belong anywhere as long as it’s not overseas.”

“Even if I sign with this person here?”

“…Yes.”

“Wow…”

Team Leader Kim Jin-hyeop’s offer was truly extraordinary.

10 billion won isn’t pocket change, and he’s not even requiring me to sign a contract—just to remain in Korea.

I wonder if there’s ever been a case like this before.

“I hope your negotiations with Ms. Hyoju go well. I’ll take my leave now.”

With that, Team Leader Kim Jin-hyeop bowed and left.

“Wow…”

Unable to bear the awkward silence, Kim Sujeong spoke first.

Seo Hyoju seemed quite shocked by what she had heard, as she remained lost in thought for quite some time even though it was her turn.

“I’m sorry. I was just organizing my thoughts.”

“Oh, take your time.”

“I’m done now. But before we continue, may I ask you something?”

“Yes, of course.”

She took a sip of her cold tea, as if her mouth had gone dry, then carefully asked:

“Your YouTube channel name… it’s not just a random name, is it?”

Her tone suggested, “Please tell me it’s not true.”

There was a desperate plea in her voice, which somehow made me want to show her.

Maybe I’m just a typical guy after all, wanting to impress a pretty woman.

Anyway, she probably figured it out from the conversation with Team Leader Kim Jin-hyeop, so there was no reason to hide it.

I took out my hunter ID and showed it to her.

“…”

When I infused it with mana, the ID displayed my authenticated name and rank.

“SSS+ rank…”

Seo Hyoju downed the rest of her tea.

“I initially thought you were S- or S rank.”

Then she calmly continued:

“I prepared conditions accordingly. Honestly, I was confident that our offer would be better than any guild’s. But with an SSS+ rank… I think I’ll have to throw away everything I brought.”

“Hmm…”

With her sweet smile, I didn’t bother telling her that no offer would have been good enough anyway.

The truth is, I don’t take these situations very seriously because I never intended to join any organization.

I’m not in a position to form a party and enter dungeons, and when I go to my farm, I’m buried there for at least a week at a time. What guild or social life could I possibly maintain?

In my mind, if I were to create a guild, it would be a farming guild with companions I’d station at the farm, but for now, guilds and such in the real world aren’t important to me.

I was wondering how to decline her offer.

Perhaps my thoughts were too clearly written on my face.

Seo Hyoju smiled.

“What about me?”

“Pardon?”

“What if the condition is having me? Would you join our Golden Light then?”

“…”

“Gasp!”

Kim Sujeong, who was listening beside us, covered her mouth with both hands and stepped back slightly.

Judging by Seo Hyoju’s expression, she wasn’t joking.

She wore a playful smile, but her eyes were serious.

Is this for real?

If I join the Golden Light Guild, I can have Seo Hyoju?

Surely she doesn’t mean “have” in the way I’m thinking?

But this is Seo Hyoju we’re talking about!

The youngest granddaughter of the Golden Light Group.

An S-rank hunter living an enviable life. Why would she?

I understand that an SSS+ hunter is impressive, but enough for her to make such an offer herself?

“Hmm…”

After a moment’s consideration, it was certainly an intriguing offer, but…

“Wouldn’t I be getting the short end of the stick?”

“Oh my…”

“Pfft.”

No matter how beautiful Seo Hyoju is or how prestigious her family, America is offering thousands of billions and blank checks. How could “having” Seo Hyoju compare to that?

Of course, considering the value of the Golden Light Group, it might be somewhat comparable, but only if Seo Hyoju were guaranteed to inherit the group.

Moreover, maybe I’m overthinking this and imagining marriage and such.

Despite my response, Seo Hyoju showed that pure smile I saw during our first meeting.

“You’re really interesting. Did you see my comment? The one I left on your YouTube video.”

“Ah, yes. I saw that. About me being your ideal type…”

“That wasn’t just empty words. As I always say on my YouTube channel, my ideal type is a strong hunter. If they’re also fun to be around, they’re marriage material—and that’s exactly what you are.”

“Really…?”

“Yes. I really fell for you after watching your video. That’s why I came looking for you.”

Seeing me flustered by her boldness, Kim Sujeong stepped in.

“Unnie, I’m sorry, but my brother is a complete novice at this. He’ll lose his mind if you approach him like this.”

“That makes it even better.”

“Why don’t you talk to me, his agent?”

“I don’t really have any conditions to offer.”

“If you want to date him, you’ll have to do it with me present—a three-person date.”

The strange courtship disguised as a negotiation finally came to an end.

In the end, Seo Hyoju said she would return later with contract terms, unable to present the conditions she had prepared.

At least she was better than Team Leader Kim Jin-hyeop in that she was getting something out of this.

“Let’s have a meal together. I’ll make a guest appearance on your YouTube channel. Isn’t that okay, even if it’s not a Golden Light Guild recruitment offer?”

“Yes, unnie! Absolutely yes!”

Before I could answer, Kim Sujeong jumped in and accepted the offer, but honestly, I didn’t mind either.

“I’ll contact you then.”

“Yes. Take care on your way back.”

The whirlwind negotiation table finally ended.

It wasn’t that long in terms of time.

About an hour, I’d say.

Mom and Dad must have been walking nearby because they soon returned with groceries and didn’t ask what we had discussed.

Instead, Dad asked something else:

“What did you bring back this time?”

“Dad, were you dying to know that?”

Though he didn’t say it, I suppose it’s unavoidable that he’d be curious, given that the company’s fate is at stake.

I took out a stone from my belt that I thought Dad would like the most.

“What’s this? A rock?”

“Dad, that’s sound-absorbing stone. The kind used in apartment construction. It blocks noise between floors.”

“…!”

“I probably have about 300 pieces that size. You should call all the construction companies, whether it’s Golden Light Group or whoever, and really flex your power.”

Dad went to his room, put on his coat, and headed back out.

“Goodness. Where is your father going on a weekend?”

He’s probably going to check the quality of the sound-absorbing stone and hold an emergency meeting to figure out how to handle the supply.

While Mom was preparing dinner, Kim Sujeong showed me the tablet she had tossed aside earlier.

“Oh right, bro. Our YouTube is going crazy.”

“What do you mean?”

The [SSS+ Farmer Hunter] channel, which had about 30,000 subscribers, now had over 500,000.

Despite being inactive for almost a week, I could see from the top comments why this had happened.

“Everyone from the American Hunter Association to top guilds has left comments saying they want to contact you.”

“Huh…”

But why?

The video turned out quite well, but is it really enough to attract attention from hunter associations and guilds from other countries?

I mean, I heard about the American Hunter Association from Team Leader Kim Jin-hyeop, but still.

“I guess regular people and hunters got curious because everyone was making such a fuss.”

Meeting two S-rank hunters right after coming back.

I was reminded once again that their visit here wasn’t a simple matter.