Chapter 1: Salesman Oh Bi-Hwan

There is no better sales tool than a smile that can win anyone over. A smile is what determines the success or failure of sales.

****

“The section chief said it’s hard to meet today.”

“Alright. I’ll come back next week.”

In response to the Inpo female employee, Oh Bi-Hwan smiled and bowed his head.

He had waited for an hour in the lobby but ended up being turned away without even meeting.

But he didn’t feel disappointed.

It was a common occurrence for salesmen.

Even as he turned his back to the female employee and walked out of the building, Oh Bi-Hwan’s smile remained, as if it were preserved.

– Sales is about stealing the heart of the other party.

It’s a good saying. But...

These damn hunters are hard to meet.

Sales is all about seeing the customer’s face, talking to them.

It was even hard to hand out business cards.

As he stepped outside the building, his phone vibrated.

Team Leader Kim.

What bad timing. Oh Bi-Hwan’s face twisted. His eyes, looking at the accept button, lost their vitality like a zombie. After taking a deep breath, he put the phone to his ear.

“Yes, Team Leader.”

– Where did you visit today?

“Seohu, Hwarang, Goryeo, NT, and...”

He continued, looking at the sign above the building entrance.

“I just left Hwajin Guild.”

– What about new clients?

Oh Bi-Hwan’s voice grew smaller in response to the team leader’s question.

“I couldn’t meet the representatives at two places because they were out. And I agreed to meet the rest next week...”

– Damn it, you idiot! Are you really going to meet the 70% target this month? Aren’t you embarrassed in front of your juniors?

The phone speaker seemed about to explode. Even when he held it away from his ear, he could still hear Team Leader Kim’s curses. In such times, it’s best to just listen.

‘This too shall pass.’

– Damn it, you’ll start touring the regional dungeons from tomorrow! If you can’t get three new clients in a week, don’t even think about coming back to the office or your home, you bastard!

The hunters might just deal with you if you wait in front of the dungeon.

A long sigh escaped Oh Bi-Hwan’s lips as he ended the call.

The company ‘Naru Shangsa’ is a trading intermediary that buys and resells resources obtained from monsters and dungeons.

There was a reason why guilds went through intermediaries.

In the early days, hunter guilds colluded to set prices for resources from monsters and dungeons, making huge profits. To prevent this, the government and the Hunter Association created several regulations.

In broad terms, the core regulations are as follows:

Only those with a hunter license can enter dungeons.

Resources and monsters must be disposed of through intermediary companies.

Guilds cannot establish intermediary companies.

However, over time, the market became a mess. Guilds set up intermediary companies using relatives and front men, and moved the market with connections, backing, and money.

The grandchildren, sons, and relatives of famous hunter guilds entered the sales field with impressive resumes. They sucked in clients like black holes, and even took two of Oh Bi-Hwan’s clients last month.

But...

‘Why is this my fault?’

It’s something a mere salesman can’t stop.

So Oh Bi-Hwan felt wronged.

‘Damn, should I quit?’ he thought.

But then he pondered, ‘Can I, a high school dropout who isn’t a hunter, get a job like this?’

At 26, Oh Bi-Hwan had two younger siblings to support. The time and effort it would take to find a new job were something he couldn’t afford.

If he had to choose between the dirty but steady 2.3 million won monthly salary and his pride, he would naturally choose the salary.

As the sun set in the evening,

though he didn’t feel like working, Oh Bi-Hwan got on a bus to visit one more new client.

*

It was 9 PM when he finished work and arrived near his home.

He stopped by a convenience store to grab a quick dinner.

“Give me your number.”

“Get lost. If you’re going to pay, do it quickly.”

“Don’t be so high and mighty. I’m not trying to do anything weird...”

A punk kid was begging the convenience store part-timer for her number.

The part-timer, with long hair, big eyes, and full lips, had an otherworldly beauty. However, Oh Bi-Hwan’s face twisted when he saw her.

His younger sister, Oh Na-Yeon. What was she doing as a part-timer when she should be at a cram school?

“Hey! You’re in your third year of high school. What are you doing instead of studying?”

“Shut up.”

Oh Na-Yeon turned her head and frowned when she saw her brother.

The punk kid glanced at Oh Bi-Hwan with a sneer. But his mouth shut tight when he saw the tall, sharp-featured man. Unless he was a hunter, few people would dare to provoke Oh Bi-Hwan.

“Bro, are you going to that other convenience store?”

“Is that important now? Sigh. I gave you money to go to the cram school, but you’re here working part-time again.”

“Don’t talk about personal stuff at someone else’s workplace.”

“What workplace? Quit right now.”

“I’m going to keep working.”

The man, caught in the siblings’ rough conversation, glanced around and quietly slipped out the door.

“It’s because of you that he left!”

“Why is it my fault? And why do you care about a punk like that?”

“Do you understand the mindset of a store owner? I’m going to be a convenience store owner someday.”

“A few weeks ago, you said you’d be a coffee shop owner. Sigh, do as you please.”

Giving up on the conversation, Oh Bi-Hwan picked up a cup noodle. It was cheap and the best for filling up.

“Didn’t you make dinner at home?”

“Mind your own business. I’ll do as I please.”

“Sure, do as you please.”

****

After finishing the payment, Oh Bi-Hwan poured water into the cup noodle and sat in a chair by the window. While waiting for the noodles to cook, several customers came and went. Most of them glanced at his sister while choosing items. He wanted to kill them.

‘If she doesn’t study...’

His younger sister, who was in the top 10 of her school, was the family’s only hope. But seeing her work part-time to help her brother made him sigh more than feel proud. As an older brother and the head of the household, he felt a sense of failure.

Snap.

He broke the chopsticks and opened the ramen lid.

As he stirred the soup to mix it well,

his sister approached.

“Here.”

She placed two triangle rice rolls on the table.

“I’m fine.”

“Since you’ve already paid, take care of it yourself.”

Oh Bi-Hwan finished the cup noodle and the rice rolls and tidied up the area.

“What time do you work until?”

“11 PM.”

“I’ll come to pick you up.”

“It’s fine. Someone is coming to pick me up.”

“Who?”

“The youngest.”

“Oh, okay.”

The youngest, Oh Bi-Gwang, was in his second year of high school. He had passed through his rebellious phase and was now a decent person. Though he was the opposite of his sister, there was no need to worry. He would find a way to survive as an adult.

“I’m going on a business trip tomorrow.”

“Travel expenses?”

“There’s none.”

“Shouldn’t you get them? How long will you be gone?”

“A week should be enough.”

“Got it. Don’t worry, and come back safely.”

As Oh Bi-Hwan left the convenience store, he looked at his sister through the glass. When their eyes met while she was arranging items, he mouthed, “Go home.”

<