A Good Proposal, an Even Better Plan
CAP Company Korea Branch Headquarters.
"I didn't expect to be back this soon."
"That just ans the stream's response was that good."
Lee Gyeongbok and Park Juho found themselves returning here in less than a week.
"But is there really any extra promotion left to do?"
"That's what I'm wondering too. No matter how classified it is, this ti it's just too secretive."
After parking, Park Juho stepped out of the car with a furrowed brow. Lee Gyeongbok shrugged lightly and straightened his clothes.
"Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough."
Just like during their previous visit, the two were guided to a eting room. However, the person waiting there was entirely different from last ti.
"Ah, welco."
It was a slightly older, middle-aged staff mber. There were no other employees present.
'He's an executive.'
Park Juho sensed it the mont he laid eyes on him.
The composure in the middle-aged man's actions and tone was not artificially crafted.
'He might even be an outsider.'
This had been a possibility he'd considered ever since hearing the term 'extra promotion' in the email.
Promo for the ga was already underway, so maybe they were targeting sothing beyond the ga itself.
However—
"Pleased to et you. I'm Frank Choi, the head of CAP Company's Korea branch."
At his introduction, Park Juho's eyes widened.
'The branch director himself?'
That was far outside his expectations.
Not an outsider, but clearly an insider of core importance.
While Park Juho's mind went montarily blank, Lee Gyeongbok greeted the branch director with a bright smile and a handshake.
That was because, according to his divine energy, the branch director was not soone who would beco an enemy.
"Yes, nice to et you. I'm the strear Purple. This is my manager."
With Lee Gyeongbok's words, Park Juho quickly recovered and bowed in greeting. The branch director laughed warmly and gestured for them to sit.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice. Please, have a seat."
The three took their seats. Curiously, the branch director sat not across from them, but at the head of the table.
Maybe it was just habitual for soone in his position.
"Ah, today's eting will actually be led not by us, but by the North Arican branch."
A surprising explanation.
"North Arica?"
"Yes. I'll be serving as an interdiary in case any issues arise. Shall we proceed?"
Gyeongbok nodded in response.
The branch director manipulated his Smart Link, and a hologram was projected in the center of the eting room. Opposite the two, a translucent foreigner appeared.
'Are we really about to sign a contract with an overseas branch?'
Though Park Juho prided himself on being well-prepared, he'd never imagined a eting like this would unfold.
Outwardly he kept a calm facade, but his lips were dry and a cold sweat trickled down his back.
'If the branch director ends up handling all interpretation, we could be at a disadvantage...'
He liked to think of himself as smart, but business English was a whole different beast.
Such a situation would hand all initiative to the company.
While Park Juho's head was spinning, decision-maker Lee Gyeongbok remained unperturbed.
No, he was more than unperturbed.
"Nice to et you. I'm the strear Purple."
He casually greeted the North Arican representative first. Park Juho's mouth fell open in surprise.
But what happened next was even more shocking.
〈Nice to et you!〉
Out of the North Arican rep's mouth ca fluent Korean. Only then did Park Juho realize his worries had been unfounded.
'How foolish...! There was no way the branch director was brought in just to interpret.'
Assuming foreigners couldn't speak Korean, assuming an interdiary role ant interpretation—such prejudices could be dangerous.
Clearing away his bias, his mind felt suddenly refreshed.
'Assigning a Korean-fluent rep? It ans they're very eager to secure this contract.'
Shedding his worries, Park Juho went straight back into business mode.
〈I don't intend to take much of Purple's ti. I'll get right to explaining the contract.〉
By this point, the North Arican representative had sent them the contract. Lee Gyeongbok and Park Juho quickly scanned the docunt displayed in front of them.
〈The response to Purple's experience stream has been superb. As a result, we've decided to begin pre-orders as soon as the test stream ends.〉
"And you'd like to include my voice pack as a pre-order bonus, correct?"
At Lee Gyeongbok's words, the Korean branch director nodded with a smile.
"Yes. In exchange, we're offering 60 million won. As you'll see if you research, that's about a professional voice actor's annual salary."
〈This amount is what we arrived at internally. Considering the lifespan of a package ga like DMC.〉
"By lifespan, you an?"
Lee Gyeongbok pressed for clarification.
"The typical lifespan of a package ga without online content is as short as three months, at most a year. Of course, if additional DLC gets released down the line, that can be extended, but nothing's decided yet."
〈Moreover, this contract targets 'pre-order' custors who want to play imdiately. So, we're estimating more like half a year, not a full year.〉
"Still, you calculated the value based on a full year's salary. That's what you're saying."
Gyeongbok nodded. The company estimated the utility of the voice pack at half a year, but intended to pay double that.
Even so, they couldn't just sign right away. Park Juho stealthily caught Gyeongbok's eye.
"Your company clearly views Purple's voice as a valuable asset."
Park Juho glanced at both the North Arican contact and the Korean branch director as he began.
"I'd also like to hear what asures you'll take to protect this asset. For instance, if any pre-order custor extracts Purple's voice and resells or distributes it for free, that would be a problem, no?"
The branch director's eyes twinkled with interest.
"A sharp and necessary question. You have a good manager."
He smiled at Lee Gyeongbok before continuing.
"We're aware of those concerns. In fact, that's partly why the contract is with the North Arican branch."
〈I'm not well-versed in Korean law, but ours tend to be considered stricter.〉
The North Arican rep took over the explanation.
〈Of course, it's best if it never happens. You can refer to clause 11 for this in the contract.〉
He brought up that page as a hologram so they wouldn't have to search for it.
〈Pre-order custors will receive an encrypted identification code. Should an incident occur, we will track this code and take imdiate legal action.〉
"Because the contract is through the North Arican branch, any litigation will fall under US law. The court-ordered damages could even be higher than the sum itself."
The branch director made a joke in a smiling voice. But it didn't sound 100% like a joke.
After checking the relevant clause, Park Juho nodded at Lee Gyeongbok—a signal that everything checked out.
'It really seems solid.'
Lee Gyeongbok agreed. His divine energy sensed no discomfort with the contract.
Nonetheless, he didn't sign imdiately.
"That's a good proposal. But, listening to this, I wonder if there's an even better way."
"An even better way?"
Both the company reps and Park Juho raised their eyebrows.
"Not all pre-order custors will be my fans. But so of them certainly are."
〈You're very modest. We expect your fans to make up a significant portion of pre-orders.〉
"All the more reason for this to be considered very carefully."
Lee Gyeongbok spoke in a heartfelt voice.
"I don't want my fans to get involved in disputes."
Everyone makes mistakes.
There's a reason for the saying, 'seeing is wanting.' Even a normally decent person might let desire override their conscience in a mont of weakness.
"I believe the problem only arises because my voice pack is a pre-order 'limited edition' bonus."
The harder it is to get, the more incentive there is to seek illegal thods. Thus, Lee Gyeongbok suggested another plan.
"Wouldn't it be better to allow this to be purchased at any ti? Pre-order custors could receive it as a basic inclusion."
Giving people options would reduce the number forced into illegal choices. And those who still chose the wrong path could simply be penalized.
Though startled by the boldness of the proposal, Park Juho closed his open mouth quietly.
〈You an, make the voice pack a DLC?〉
"Hmm... That's quite interesting."
The company's reaction was favorable. The two reps exchanged glances and nodded.
"It's difficult to make a decision right away. We need to consult with headquarters in Japan, and changing the sales thod ans the contract conditions would change too."
Lee Gyeongbok nodded with a faint smile.
"Thank you for considering it positively. Then, let's finalize the details at the next eting."
〈We'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.〉
"Then, until next ti."
With that, the eting ended and the two returned to the parking lot.
But Park Juho didn't start the car right away.
"Ha... Sorry."
Lee Gyeongbok's eyes rounded in surprise at his friend's sudden apology.
"For what?"
"For not getting a better grasp of the eting, for not suggesting improvents... I should've prepared this better myself."
All he'd done today for Gyeongbok was drive. At this rate, he felt more like a chauffeur than a manager.
Lee Gyeongbok wasn't having any of it.
"How could you have prepared when we didn't even know the contract details until we arrived?"
He wasn't wrong.
Even so, Park Juho still wore a bitter expression.
"Tis like this make see why we might need an agency."
"An agency?"
"In the end, companies just see us as individuals, nothing more."
Even with their own business registration, from the company's perspective, team Perfect was just individuals rather than a legitimate business.
"That's why they won't let us see the contract under the pretense of confidentiality. You know, if this were a true B2B, we'd review and coordinate the contract before the eting?"
"Well, that's true."
Gyeongbok shrugged.
"But there's no need to rush. Like before, the ball is in our court. They're the ones who approached us first, right?"
Park Juho let out a wry chuckle at his friend's answer.
Anyone else would've snapped up this contract. It was a rare opportunity, and the terms were too good to pass up.
'But none of that ans anything to this guy.'
Things were different for Lee Gyeongbok.
Opportunities always found talented people, while the ones desperate were those who coveted that talent.
"You're right. Still, we will need an expert's help for this."
Buoyed by his friend's confidence, Park Juho's worries faded.
Back in work mode, he started the car as he considered how to proceed.
"Your voice will be a digital asset. Treated as a unique personal asset, like copyright or a patent."
"Will it really work that way?"
"We should check. Better to see a patent attorney than just a lawyer. I'll ask Geno about it."
Park Juho thought of Geno.
Geno had already helped them as a tax advisor before and may well have relevant experience.
Lee Gyeongbok nodded, then rolled his eyes in thought.
"Patent attorneys must interact with company staff all the ti, right?"
"I'd think so. Corporations have more trademarks and patents than individuals. Why do you ask?"
Lee Gyeongbok grinned at the question.
"Hang on a sec."
He sent a ssage using his Smart Link. Park Juho thought he was contacting Geno right away, but—
"Oh, not a ssage, but a call."
The voice that ca through the call was not Geno's.
〈Oh, Gyeongbok.〉
"Hello, auntie. Have you eaten?"
It was none other than Yanghwa Bosal, his aunt Yang Gyuri.
〈Aigoya, I'm out on a business trip for readings, haven't eaten yet. You?〉
" neither, yet."
And by extension, her network was—
〈Really? Then let's have lunch. I know people who can recomnd a patent attorney, so don't worry about it.〉
"Yes, thank you. I'll co see you soon."
—in turn, Gyeongbok's own network.
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